The Other Side
by D-D Dreamer
Summary: Lucy has changed the past few months since Lisanna's return to Fairy Tail. She doesn't call on her celestial spirits and she constantly throws herself into danger to save her friends. However, everything changes when a future Natsu walks through the doors of Fairy Tail claiming it will be destroyed within the year and only Lucy can save them.
1. Prologue

**Usually I'm a fanfic reader but I had this idea swimming through my mind. This story will be told from Lucy's and Levy's perspective. This story is rated M because later on this story will turn dark and gory. Also, this is my first Fairy Tail fanfiction.**

**This story takes place after the Eclipse Gate Arc.**

**Warning: The characters are ooc. This story is rated M for adult language, violence and sexual content. However, I will post more of the clean content here. Wattpad holds the more mature content.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail. **

**The Other Side**

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**Prologue**

* * *

I, Lucy Heartfillia, had one of those dreadful feelings; a feeling that something bad was going to happen and it would change everything. Usually, these feelings were something I could ignore because I knew what to do to stop them but not this feeling. It was something I awoke with and I began to feel its weight in my chest as I stood in Fairy Tail, wiping the glasses as I helped Mirajane Strauss run the guild. However, the atmosphere around me remained the same. Natsu Dragneel, my partner, was fighting Gray Fullbuster, an ice mage, over some petty matter. When they fought, everyone else but Mirajane, her sister Lisanna Strauss, Cana Alberona and I joined the brawl.

I sighed as I put down the glass before Natsu rudely bumped into me, causing me to land face down on the bar table. The glass tipped over and was about to fall down on the floor but Natsu was quick to catch it. I got up and scrunched my face at him for his clumsiness because I knew he saw me standing at the bar and could have shifted himself last minute to avoid colliding into me. But he didn't, which was strange.

Something I learned about my pink haired partner a few months ago, after Lissana's return to Fairy Tail, was Natsu didn't appear to be asinine as he led people to believe. Whenever he said or did something, there was a reason behind it; he just didn't share his reason with anyone else. The only culprit who probably knew how logical his actions were was Happy, our flying friend and partner. However, to get Happy to rattle on Natsu was another matter; I couldn't use fish to bribe him.

"Natsu!" I growled out, grabbing the glass from his hand to put it on the table. "Watch where you hit people!"

"Sorry, Luce" he apologized before grinning at me. He lifted his fist into the air, turned to face Gray and shouted, "Look what you did you ice pickle!"

"It's not my fault you can't dodge, flame brain!" Gray retorted with a smirk. Natsu growled before he launched his fist at Gray, hitting him squarely in the jaw. Gray fell back as some blood dripped from the corner of his mouth. Wiping the blood, he smirked once again before he threw a punch at Natsu to have him dodge it.

"When is this nonsense going to stop?" I asked out loud, expecting no one to answer me, but the young woman with short white hair and light blue eyes, dressed in a long flowing white dress did answer.

"You know them," Lisanna laughed. "They don't know the meaning of silence."

"You can say that again," I answered her with a small smile on my face. I wasn't surprised to see her sitting on the stool at the bar. Normally, she hung out here when the Fairy Tail guild members decided to have their way in fights. The bar was the only place they couldn't thrash without facing Mirajane's wrath and no one did that because she was considered to be one of scariest women in Fairy Tail.

Lisanna laughed before turning around to watch the others fight but I noticed her gaze lingered on Natsu as he fought with Gray and and Gajeel Redfox, the iron dragon slayer. Then, I felt it again. The same dreadful feeling returned with a vengeance that I had to place a fist on my chest, over my pounding heart. Inhaling deep breaths, I averted my attention from the fights to behind the bar. I closed my eyes as I tried to calm down. When I opened them, I felt my pulse was beating at a steady pace and I could breathe the fresh air with no problem. That's when I notice I didn't see Mirajane in her usual spot behind the bar to greet members with a pleasant smile on her beautiful face. With concern marring my face, I searched for her until I found her standing next to Cana, the card mage, with a frown. Leaving Lisanna, I walked over to them to check out the problem. The first thing I noticed was Cana had a whole bunch of cards laid face down on the table. She was holding one in her hand, her eyes grimly looking at it. The second thing I noticed was Mirajane took the card from her hand before adding it with the rest of cards. She gathered and shuffled them before placing each one face down on the table before flipping the last card.

"How could it be?" I heard Mirajane gasped. "This is impossible?"

"What is impossible?" I asked, interrupting both girls.

They didn't look at me, but Cana answered my question. "We got the same card for the fourty-seventh time."

My eyes widened. "Isn't that impossible?"

"That's close to the question I asked," Mirajane remarked as she shook her head, causing her long white hair to fall from her messy bun.

"Before this incident, I would have said it's impossible. Now, I say it is possible," Cana said, which shocked me because I realized she didn't have a barrel of beer next to her, which meant she was sober.

Gently, I took the card from Mirajane's hand and frowned at it. The card had an unusual figure dressed in a black, hooded robe, although his skull face was apparent. He held a deadly looking scythe in his hand. There were a bunch of flames in the background, which instantly reminded me of Natsu's gift for fire.

"This is a weird card," I said while bringing it closer to my face to examine the details in the image. "I don't think I've seen this card in your possession."

"That's because it wasn't until recently," Cana replied, taking the card from my hand to add it with her cards. "I got it with some other cards from my..." She went silent and Mirajane and I understood whom she was talking about -her father, Gildarts.

"I see but why do you keep getting this card? What does it mean?" I questioned her because from the grim expression on hers and Mirajane's faces, I saw this card meant something important.

Then, I felt it again. The bad feeling came back with urgency and I bent over, both hands rubbing my chest while I was gasping for air. Both women bent over me, asking me if I was alright. Tears burned my eyes as loose strands of blond hair covered my face. I coughed several times to clear the burning sensation in my throat. When I felt like I could breathe again, I straightened up only to have Cana, Mirajane, Lisanna, Natsu, and Gray around me. They all appeared to have the same worried expression and it was directed at me. It was then I noticed the guild stopped fighting; Master Makarov Dreyar didn't have to come out of his office on the second floor to threaten his children to stop the senseless fighting. Instead they gathered around me, crowding into my personal space. But I didn't have time to assure them I was okay. Something in my gut was telling me to find out the meaning of the card before this horrible feeling might attack me again.

"What does it mean?" I asked her, while wiping the stray tears with the back of my hands. Natsu appeared beside me. One of his arms wrapped around my waist while his other arm took my arm to curve around his neck so he could hold me up against his hard body.

"That card, Lucy, is the Grim Reaper," Cana answered slowly. She never looked at me or the other members when she answered my question. Instead, her gaze was fixed on the card in her hands. "And it means death."


	2. Chapter 1

**This story is broken into two parts. Lucy's part is present day and Levy's perspective is told one year in the future. Enjoy the chapter.**

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**Chapter 1**

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**Present Day**

**Lucy's Perspective**

"What the hell were you thinking?" Levy McGarden yelled at me. I covered my ears a bit too late and I felt a head ache come back at full force. I tenderly rubbed at the sensitive area before shaking my head.

Natsu, Lisanna, Erza, Gray and I returned from a mission and not all of us returned from it unscathed. I had the worst injuries, almost resulting in my death if Wendy didn't make it in time to heal me.

"Honestly, I don't know. I thought I could help Natsu and Lisanna with their fight when one of bad guy's fist rammed into my stomach," I tried to defend myself but she glared at me.

"Did you think of summoning one of your spirits to help you fight?" Levy asked.

The flush of guilt on my face told her the answer she expected. She grabbed both of my shoulders and began to shake me hard. "Do you have any idea how close you were to dying?"

I tried to answer her but all the shaking made my head spin while my heart thundered in my ears. When she did stop shaking me, I found myself lying back on the hospital bed moaning in pain.

"That's what you get for trying to play heroic," she admonished me. Her hands crossed over her chest while I heard Erza's roar by the doorframe. Instantly, I knew she was keeping Natsu and Gray at bay while Levy and I had our private moment. "Don't you know that Cana's card could have been you?"

Levy was referring to Cana's Grim Reaper. "I don't think so," I was finally able to say.

"So you think her card is a fluke?" Levy asked as she raised her voice. I flinched.

Slowly, I shook my head. Maybe my response to her question was too slow.

"I don't know what kind of suicidal case you're playing but you're not going on the next mission with them."

"No, you can't do that!" I exclaimed immediately as I shot right out of the bed, only my knees buckled and I fell face flat on the floor.

"It's not up to me or your teammates. You're going to have to take it up with Master Makarov."

I nearly panicked when I heard the master's name. We were not on good terms about my idea of going on missions. Apparently, he heard of my lack of summoning spirits into battle. He went as far as threatening to take away my keys and my privileges of taking on missions, which was why I have been helping Mirajane run the bar and dealing with backup paperwork. Master Makarov found out my talents for filling out paperwork and he was deliberately leaving enough of it for me to fill out until I was completely exhausted at the end of the day.

"Please don't tell him," I begged as I bowed before her.

"And risk you meeting death?" she retorted. "I won't have you meeting your funeral any time soon."

"But you of all people should know why I'm doing this," I said to her as I shakily half sat in front of her. I had to support half of my upper body with my arms.

"Which is why I don't condone your actions. Your deceased parents wouldn't want something bad to happen to you," she answered as she unfolded her hands across her chest. "Think of what you're doing to yourself. You look pale, you're as weak as hell. I'm sorry to say you're not helping anyone."

"But it's the price I pay before I could summon..." I was rudely interrupted by my best friend.

"You're choosing to put yourself through a dangerous situation and I can't stand back to watch you suffer anymore." She turned her back on me and walked to the door. She opened the door to reveal Erza holding a sword at both Natsu's and Gray's necks. The scowl on her face spoke volumes of wanting to hurt something.

Slowly and steadily I rose to my feet. Somehow Natsu dodged Erza's sword and was at my side in a blink of an eye. He swept me off my feet until he was holding me bridal style. Flushing scarlet, I hid my face against his neck and squeaked inappropriately. I could have sworn I heard his chuckle as I felt the tremor against his hard chest.

"I think you could put her on the bed," Erza's threatening voice tumbled into the room as Gray still couldn't pass her form.

"She's better right where she is," Natsu said. Then he peered at me with innocent looking eyes and said, "Right, Luce?" And I noticed something flashed in his dark eyes that made me weary.

I dumbly nodded my head to keep a camaraderie going between us. The last thing I needed was for my friends to bicker over my delicate condition since I couldn't physically handle them.

"Maybe you should carry her like that during all of your battles," Gray wagged his eyebrows and then snickered as he watched the both of us. Erza growled and pounded the dull end of her sword on his head.

"Oww!" he cried as he rubbed his head. "Why did you do that?"

"Because you're acting like an immature brat. Can't you see that Lucy is injured? She needs our support." If only I weren't being held in Natsu arms, I would have hugged Erza for being sweet.

"Sorry," he muttered at me before dropping his head in shame.

"It's okay," I said. "I know you're trying to lighten up the situation."

"You're doing it the wrong way," Erza said while scowling at Gray.

Then everyone began laughing, including me. I wrapped my arms around Natsu's neck, feeling as if it was in his arms I belonged when the moment was ruined by Lisanna's and Happy's interference.

"Aye, what did I miss?" asked Happy while Lisanna paused in the room, taking in how Natsu had me in his arms. An uncomfortable feeling swept into the room and I found myself being placed back gently into the bed. Lisanna muttered an excuse and hurried out the room.

"I'll be right back, Luce." His voice sounded cheery but the tension I felt in his arms before he settled me on the bed told me something different altogether. There was something going on between him and Lisanna and I was in the middle of it.

"Okay," I said with a cracked voice. I knew he heard it because he quickly ran his hand along my cheek before disappearing out of the room. Erza might have witnessed his gesture but she had the decency not to say anything in front of Gray.

We spent a couple of minutes in the room together before Erza and Gray excused themselves, leaving me alone. Levy returned with her hands across against her chest. "I feel like telling them everything."

"Please don't," I begged as I reached out to grab her hands and clutched them tightly to me. "They won't understand."

"Remember our promise when you came to me for help?" she asked.

I nodded, remembering the promise. One month ago a package came to my door with a letter signed by my deceased father. I was shocked and somehow weary of opening it since my dad died a while ago. Maybe it was going to be like the clock incident where Yukino and I became some of the only celestial mages left. Then I went to Levy's place with the package. It was a large bundle for me to handle, but with her advice, we opened the box to see the contents and what we saw amazed us. There was a letter addressed to me by my father explaining his actions for treating me the way he did in the past. Also, there was an old age key with black and white trimmings and a leather bound book filled with undecipherable words in fading yellow pages.

Levy, curious as me, promised to help me decipher the words as long as my life wasn't in danger. If I broke our agreement, then she would tell my teammates and Master Makarov about its contents.

And so far things were looking very grim for me.

* * *

**One Year Later**

**Levy's Perspective**

"Levy McGarden!" a panicked voice called out to me. "Levy, we need to get out of here!" But I wasn't listening to the little blue hair girl beside me. Instead, I was searching around Lucy's room one last time in search for the ancient book I promised to hide safely from Natsu and the other members from Fairy Tail.

Bending down on my hands and knees, I lifted the ends of the bed sheet covering my view of what was under the bed. I saw scattered shoes, and scraps of paper on the floor. Lifting my head, I crawled toward Lucy's desk to check under it.

"We have to go!" Wendy shrieked. Her small hands were on my shoulders as if trying to get my attention. "Natsu will be here any minute!"

"I can't leave without it," I muttered under my breath. I wasn't worried when she squeezed my shoulders with her inhuman strength. In fact, nothing fazed me. Not the fire from three buildings away from me, or the screams outside the window, or the smoke spreading through the air. Most of Magnolia was already engulfed in flames. The Fairy Tail building was destroyed and half of the members died at Natsu's hands. The surviving members tried their best to evacuate Magnolia's citizens from the town. They were also searching for the wrong person they believed to be destroying their home.

"Levy, we need to go!" Wendy was roughly shaking me, obscuring my vision of the contents under Lucy's desk.

"We can't leave without it or else everything was done for nothing!" I yelled as I shoved Wendy's hands from my shoulders.

"What means so much to you that you're willing to risk your life for?" the girl asked.

"The ancient book. It's the only way to prove Lucy's not the one killing people," I said as I stood up and began tossing papers aside on Lucy's desk.

"All of this will mean nothing if Magnolia is burnt to the ground," the girl said as she tried to dissuade me from finding the book. What she said held a part of the truth, but the book was very important because it held secrets about magic that Lucy and I were looking for. It might hold an answer how to stop a deranged Natsu from attacking the city and help bring back Lucy from the other side.

"It does matter. For some strange reason, Natsu's murdering people and destroying the town he claimed to love so much. And Lucy is taking blame for killing some of the Fairy Tail members when it's Natsu's fault."

"We both know it's not her fault and it may be too late change everything," Wendy said with a sad voice.

Tossing the last paper aside, my eyes fell on a thick, worn leather bound volume with yellowing pages. I grabbed it and hugged it against my chest. Finally, I turned my attention to Wendy when I noticed she was looking at the floor. Her hands clutched the ends of her dress tightly; her bangs hid her eyes beneath shiny blue hair.

"Wendy," I called out her name.

"It's too late," she responded. Her tone was so low that I almost missed it.

"It's okay, I have the book." I attempted to show her the book, but she turned away from me.

"It doesn't matter anymore. Most of the town is gone. The people and Fairy Tail members are dead. And he's almost here. He intends to burn this place last."

"Will he kill us?" I asked her.

"Honestly, he shouldn't kill us because we're just like him. We're both looking for Lucy or what is left of her. Plus, there is the dragon moral, which is up held by all dragons and dragon slayers. A male dragon or dragon slayer may never hurt a female dragon, female dragon slayer, or a dragon slayer's mate," Wendy said.

"Even if he's in a deranged state of mind?" I shivered thinking of his feral smirk or the bloodlust in red eyes as he attacked Erza and Mirajane when he first walked into Fairy Tail. I shook my head to remove the unpleasant thoughts of how he killed Gray.

"Yes, he won't hurt us because as sad and angry as he is about losing Lucy, female dragons and mates of dragon slayers are the only hope to continue with the dragon line."

"He's sad?" I questioned her with a frown on my face. I stooped down to get a better vision of her face. What I saw almost floored me. Wendy's eyes looked dull, almost as if I was staring into hollow eyes.

"Natsu's sad because he thinks she's dead? What he doesn't understand is that she is neither dead nor alive. Her spirit is within the realm of other spirits and like them, she can be summoned into this world."

"Which is why I have to find the spell to reverse everything. We can save her, Wendy. This book is the key."

Wendy shook her head and covered her face with hands. "It's too late."

Before I can change her mind, a heated breeze drifted into the room. I averted my attention from her to the open window besides Lucy's bed and I almost fainted with fright. My arms and knees began shaking as I slowly stepped away from the looming figure that gracefully swung his long limbs through the window. His black robes flapped around his form as his magic radiated from his body. A smirk slowly spread across his face as he looked at me through one open eye. His other eye remained close.

"What do we have here? A lost little lamb?" Natsu asked darkly as his fangs flashed.

From my peripheral vision, I saw Wendy kneeling. Her head bowed, touching the floor and covering her legs. I heard her soft whimpers. Natsu bypassed her and kept walking toward me. For every step he made in my direction, I matched his pace in backing up until my back hit the wall. His magic enshrouded his form, heating up against my body until I clenched my teeth from pain and fear. If he continued to raise his magical aura, the sparks of fire surrounding his tall frame was going to leave first degree burns on my exposed skin. I thought Wendy said he wouldn't hurt us, but if he passed her, then he wouldn't hurt her. Me, on the other hand, he would hurt because I was not a female dragon slayer nor was I considered a dragon slayer's mate.

"What are you clutching so tightly too?" he asked. I didn't realize I was holding my breath until the one eye he left open looked down at the book I hugged to my chest. No matter what happened, I couldn't let him get the book or he would have access to deadly knowledge of magic in his hands that he could use to destroy the world.

When I didn't answer him, I felt his long heated fingers wrap around my throat. "Do you speak, little lamb?"

I nodded my head as I lowered my lashes and stared at the black robe covering his body. "So this is the game you'll play with me? Fuck, I like it." His smile grew wickeder as his fingers applied more pressure on my throat.

"Is that book important to you? Nod your head for a yes or shake your head for a no," he whispered darkly as he lowered his head until I could feel his hot breath against my ear.

I didn't know what else to do but to nod my head. I knew if I shook my head, he would sensed that I was deceiving him and if I could stress the importance of the book, then I could get him to change his mind about Lucy's situation.

"Is that why I found you here, in her apartment?" When he said "her" he meant Lucy. Maybe he couldn't say Lucy's name.

I nodded my head.

"Will you fight me if I take it?" I gulped and I felt his hand squeezed my throat, making it harder for me to breathe.

I couldn't let him have the book, even if it cost me my life. Vigorously, I nodded my head. Despite the fact that I was cornered, I raised my magical aura, notifying him that I wasn't going to pass out without a fight.

He snapped his head back and laughed sardonically and for a moment, I wondered how Lucy dealt with Natsu's dark sides in the past. I quivered when he looked at me. This time he had both eyes opened and pure malice was swimming through bloodlust eyes.

I was going to die.

Or at least I thought I was going to die if it weren't for another intense magical aura flying at both of us. Natsu took the brunt of it since his form mostly covered mine. With a grunt, he let go of my throat, leaving me to sag down against the wall while I gulped for air. Unknowingly, a hand went to my throat to rub at the rawness. I flinched as I felt blisters from Natsu's touch. Apparently, magic burst through Natsu's fingers to burn my throat.

"Stop!" yelled a female's voice. "You can't hurt her. She's Gajeel's mate."

"You mean she was Gajeel's mate," Natsu barely whispered but I heard his words and went completely still. There was no way that Gajeel would die. He was too stubborn neither for death nor to lose any fight against Natsu. But if Natsu revealed the truth, does that mean he could kill me without batting an eyelash?

"If he's dead, you still can't hurt her," Wendy said with a steel voice. She stood up to her full height and then crouched as though she was preparing for Natsu's attack.

"Do you want me to test that theory?" he laughed menacingly and I blinked as I realized that Wendy was trying to buy some time for me to recover so that I could get away.

"How about we take our dual elsewhere?"

"And miss more fun of killing the second to last member of Fairy Tail," he casually said as he turned his head to look at me. Red eyes deepened with malice as he stalked my frame.

Wendy was about to pounce on his back when I lifted my hand as a sign to stop her and him. My next words did make him stop. "What if I tell you Lucy's not dead?"

His long pause was enough to make the hair at the nape of my neck stand. I realized I was deliberately playing with fire.

"How can you convince me she's not dead?" he asked with a deadly tone that made me feel like he took the life from my body.

"This book," I pointed to the book, which somehow stayed with me, with a shaky finger, "is all you need." In a second, he was running toward me.


	3. Chapter 2

**The present and the future events will build on each other, and all the pieces of the puzzle will come together. The story will make sense but I will need time to explain everything. If you have any questions, feel free to PM me. Thanks and enjoy this chapter.**

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**Chapter 2**

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**Present Day**

**Lucy's Perspective**

Things weren't looking very good for me. Levy was giving me the cold shoulder after I begged her not to tell Natsu and the others my secret. Ever since I returned home from the hospital, she hadn't visit in order to take Natsu, Happy, Erza and Gray off my shoulders. They were constantly nagging me at my apartment, refusing to leave me alone since I was injured. Most of my food was gone. Every night one of them spent a night at my apartment. The rent was almost due at the end of the month. It was beginning to grate on my nerves. I wasn't some helpless child.

On top of being home, Master Makarov ordered me to stop taking missions. Natsu, Erza, Gray, Lisanna and Happy continued doing missions without my presence. Thus, Lisanna took my place. But who was I to complain about the unfairness of my situation? Lisanna could hold her own battles because she was the one helping out Natsu whereas I got multiple hits when I turned my head away from my opponent for a second. According to my lion spirit, Loke, I got paid for getting distracted.

Yet, why wasn't I able to activate the black and white key I received from the contents inside the package my dad sent me? I couldn't summon the spirit the normal way by enchanting to open the gate. According to Levy, I had to experience severe pain in order to make contact with the spirit. It had to do something with intertwining and binding my magic with the spirit's magic. However, the amount of injuries I received would keep me from attending Fairy Tail for two weeks and the key was still dormant as the day I received it. I felt bad because Wendy also had to do some major healing from my near death experience.

I was in the bath, pondering my long list of thoughts when I heard someone knocking on my door. Slumping into the tub and crossing my hands over my chest, I hesitatingly asked, "Yes, what is it?"

"Are you done in there, Lucy? It's been twenty-five minutes," said a feminine voice.

I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. "I'm almost done, Erza," I replied. I was relieved to know that Gray or Natsu weren't the ones at the door. If they were, Gray would continue to pound on the door while Natsu would break it down. Then, I would have to buy another door.

"Okay," she answered. There was a pause before she continued, "I see that you need some more food or at least some strawberry cake. I'm going to the bakery before it closes."

I blinked my eyes, wondering if I heard Erza words accurately. If Erza went to the bakery, I would get some time alone.

"Alright."

"Good," Erza said and I heard her hurried footsteps as she moved away from the door. The moment I heard the front door closed, I jumped out of the tub, flinching. I took one step and slipped on the floor.

"Ouch!" I yelped as I sat upright and rubbed my sore bottom. In my excitement I forgot about my injuries. Slowly getting up, I picked the towel on the sink and patted my wet skin. Once I was dried, I wrapped the towel around my frame, frowning how it didn't cover my body. Moving to the mirror, I wiped the fog away from the mirror to see a reflection of myself. I shook my head at the pale girl staring back at me. My blond hair looked like strings hanging around my face. My eyes looked swollen and bruised. The skin around my jaw line was damaged. My lips were cracked. Letting the towel drop from my hands, I looked at the deep cuts running across my chest. Wendy didn't have enough energy to fully heal them after she revived me. Glancing at the red mark over my heart, I could see the good job she did at re-growing the skin over my breast.

Stepping back, I turned around and winced at the scrapes and bruises that marred my back. These wounds were from earlier missions. The scar and scrapes across my chest were new additions to the already existing ones on my body. A few months ago, my skin was clear from wounds and scratches. I felt proud of wearing my little clothes. Now, I was ashamed to show blemished skin. When I begin to do missions, my top priority was getting new clothes that covered my body.

I bent down and retrieved the towel. Not bothering to wrap my frame with it, I walked into my room stark naked and began opening draws in search of clothes. I knew I wasn't going to be bothered by anyone tonight. Gray was too busy trying to avoid his stalker, Juvia. Natsu, Lisanna and Happy planned on spending the whole day fishing. Erza was the only one spending the night with me and if she went to the bakery, she would spend some extra time eating some of her favorite strawberry cake before returning to my apartment.

I grabbed my under garments and a long t-shirt. Once I threw on the clothes, I closed the drawers and headed to my desk. I was pondering if I could look over the letter my father sent me. However, I still couldn't believe what he wrote. Picking up a small needle, I pricked my finger deep enough until drips of blood fell on my desk. Reaching for a box, I opened it to reveal pages. To an untrained eye, the pages appeared blanked, and aged with folds at the edges. To mages like Levy and I, we could detect an unusual magic radiating from the pages. Smearing my blood over the documents, I drew a triangle followed by a circle. Then I wrote ancient symbols around the triangle before the prints glowed and a swirl of lights filled the room. Automatically, the lights went off in my room. A wind swirled around me lifting the pages off the desk until they began to float around me. Words started to glow and they flew from the pages until they were hovering in the air. The words scattered and then reassembled into my father's letter and I heard my father's voice as they floated around me. They glowed brightly in the dark room.

_My dearest Lucy,_

_If you are reading this letter, then I am long gone from the world. I don't know if you will forgive me for mistreating you. But I did everything in my power to protect you. Protect you from what? The truth is your life is in danger. If the infinity clock incident did happen, you will understand that there is only a couple of celestial mages left. The ones who lost their power were never true summoners as your mother and you are._

_I will tell you the story, beginning how your mother and I met. Hopefully by the time I get to explaining my actions, you will see I was doing everything I could to protect you._

_The first time I met your mother, we were on a vessel, traveling from Lakeshore to Magnolia. There was a huge wave coming towards our boat and would have cap sized it if it weren't for your mother summoning Aquarius to intercept the wave. After she pulled the stunt, she fainted and I offered her to use my room as a place to recover. She thanked me and we parted ways. A couple of months later, I was traveling in Blackshift, selling wares when I stumbled into her. She was running from some guards when she bumped into me. We tumbled into a merchant's stand and a lady covered us with a sheet. Your mother covered my mouth with her finger. We stayed still and waited for the guards to pass. When the lady uncovered us, your mother grabbed my hand and took us into a bar that she deemed was safe. There, she told me her story of being a celestial mage from a long line of summoners. Apparently, the magic council was looking for her because of her slip in magical power with summoning Capricorn. Her level might have outranked an S-Class member and she was not in the Council Archive for using such magic. Also, she had a theory of the Magic Council bearing a grudge against celestial mages. After explaining her incident, I decided to help her and as you could say, one thing led to another. I loved your mother and I had a good amount of savings in the bank to start a future with her. We got married. She changed her last name to Heartfiia so the Magic Council could never find her name in the database. With enough networking, I opened a business, which expanded. Your mother changed her appearance into a lady, entering high society with a disguise. I became wealthy and networked with influential people to establish power. Remember, at the time, I did all of this to protect your mother._

_From our love, you were born. We wanted to raise you as a lady with a normal life, no magic whatsoever. But you witnessed your mother summon a celestial spirit and you became interested. Your mother changed her mind and began to teach you how to summon spirits against my wishes. She hired a teacher to instruct you. Your mother and I got into many arguments, and sadly, we stopped talking because of it until I discovered that your mother was ill. Putting our petty differences aside and delaying work, I spent as much time as I could with her. However, she insisted that you train as much as possible so you wouldn't be aware of her sickness. When she died, you inherited her golden keys but I remained true with my purpose of you living a normal life. I fired your teacher. Deliberately, I created a schedule to keep you busy the whole day so you wouldn't have time to train in magic. You began reaching out to me without your mother's presence or support but you reminded me so much of her that I couldn't look at you without seeing her. This caused me too much heartbreak and grief. Thus, I continued to ignore you while you tried everything to get my attention and my approval. Don't think I didn't notice when you aced your exams for your academic subjects or the fact you excelled in dancing and gymnastics. I heard you won a gold medal in horseback riding. By the age of fifteen, you already completed business college courses on running a company. The worst mistake I made was deciding to get you married; however, the man I wanted you to marry was a powerful man who the Magic Council kept away from. That's when you ran away from home and stayed under the radar for two years._

_Then, I discovered from small talk with my business associates that you joined Fairy Tail. You were beginning to make a name for yourself, which caused me to get a visit from a blue haired man named Siegrain. If you don't know him, he was a wizard saint from the Magic Council or was part of it until The Tower of Heaven incident. To my utter surprise, he asked me questions about you and your mother. He knew of the scheme we planned and warned me that the Magic Council was coming after you. So I reacted in haste; I hired Phantom Lord Guild to retrieve you and return you to me where I can reveal information about your mother's lineage, the ancient book she carried with her and the key that she considered was a part of her soul. The whole incident backfired, which I deeply apologize for you getting hurt. Believe me when I say I never wanted to hurt you._

_To my utmost surprise you walked through the doors of our home looking so much like your mother. You claimed how much you love Fairy Tail that I couldn't tell you the story. From the passion in your eyes, I realized how much of a fool I have been as a father. I was too busy trying to control your life, I never once thought about how you felt. But that day, I saw a strong woman with a lot of conviction standing in front of me who knew how she wanted to live her life. Thus, I decided to support your decision by helping you in the background. I funded Fairy Tail with enough money to build a new guild. I gave up my home and vast fortune to my business rival so the Heartfilia's name will eventually disappear in society. I became a humble merchant, traveling from place to place to hear rumors about the Magic Council's progress all while I kept in touch with Master Makarov about your magical progress._

_From our last encounter, I don't know if you truly have forgiven me for my actions in the past. I don't know if I have your full support after reading most of this letter. This is what I can tell you. Your life is in danger. Master Makarov might have temporarily deviated the Magic Council's attention from you, but they know where to find you. They are after you because they deemed celestial mages, who are from a long line of summoners, to be their biggest threats. This is due to the fact they could open gates to different worlds. They have hunted them from time x444 (The Black Purge) until now, trying to eliminate every threat possible. Besides this letter, I have granted you the book containing important information about summoners' magic along with a parchment with your family line tree. There's a black and white key that you must keep with you at all times. This key is part of your soul. Once it's activated, these spirits' magic is intertwined in your bloodline. Also, using the same method to uncover the contents of this letter, you must do the same action for the back of page 4. You will find a series of numbers, which leads to a bank account I have stocked with large sums of money. If this letter changes your mind about your staying at Fairy Tail, use the money to begin a new life. If not, use the money how you see fit._

_Lucy, you are mine and Layla's daughter. We are proud of you, no matter what decision you make. Everything will be alright._

_Love,_

_Jude Heartfilia_

The words stopped glowing and the room became dark once more. Of all sudden the lights turned back on and everything in the room looked untouched. I sank to my knees as I wiped away the wetness off my face. I could taste the lingering salt on my lips. Clutching my father's letters to my chest, I inhaled a shaky breath before exhaling it. I remembered that Erza was about to return to my apartment and I didn't want her to find box. Gathering the papers with trembling hands, I stood up and placed them in the box. Reaching to the side of the book, I pulled out the black and white key before putting the lid on the box. I returned the box to the corner of my desk, not worrying about Natsu, Gray or Erza finding it because if they did, they couldn't read the letters or understand any of the ancient language in the book. The key was a different matter. They still hadn't seen it.

Clutching the key in my hand, I marveled at the cool metal. The key felt different from the gold and silver keys. With a simple touch from a finger to a golden or silver key, magic would pulse from the key to me. The black and white key was hard, cold and lifeless in my hand. It felt like a regular key. If the key didn't have black or white trimmings nor was shaped like an old fashion key, I would have thought it was the some random key people used to lock and unlock doors.

"There has to be a way to summon the spirit from you. But how?" I said as I was talking to the key. Sometimes I talked to my keys, believing that my spirits heard me. Maybe they did hear me.

After a little time, I received no response and I sighed. I was about to put the key away in the box when a golden flash appeared next to me. Holding a breath, I held the key firmly in my grasp. I was going to chant to open the gate, when Loke bowed down in gentlemanly manner. I exhaled my breath and I put one hand on my hip while shaking my head. He was dressed casually, wearing a brown leather jacket, a tight fitting white shirt, faded blue jeans and black boots. And he looked good in what he wore, especially when he began to shamelessly flirt with me.

"Loke! Don't scare me like that!" I exclaimed.

"Whatever my Princess wishes," he replied, glancing up at me with playful eyes behind his sunglasses. I blushed and looked away from him.

"Why are you here?" Usually, Loke and Virgo, my most two trusted spirits could pop in the human world using their own magic.

"I felt your distress and came to your aid," he said as he stood up. He gently grabbed my hand and brought it to his chest.

"I'm fine, Loke. As you can see, I'm about to go to bed," I said as I took my hand from him and gestured to my body.

His eyes roamed my form while a smile tugged at his lips. Frowning, I glanced down at my body and squeaked when I saw I was inappropriately dressed in front of him. For Mavis' sake, I wasn't wearing a short pants or long pants! I was just in my underwear!

"Loke!" I screamed. "You pervert! Look away!" I was hitting him with my hands while he laughed. Easily, he caught my wrists with his hands. He transferred both of them into one hand while he brushed my hair away from my face with his other hand.

"Lucy, it's okay," he said as a bigger smile displayed on his face, showing off white pearly teeth. My heart thumped in my chest as he bent his head closer to me. "I've seen all of it."

My face turned red as a tomato and I jumped while screeching. Automatically, he let go my hands to cover his ears. When I calmed down, I pushed against his chest and said, "That's what you get for messing with me. I'm not some helpless person."

"Believe me, I know," he said as he straightened to his full height. He moved to sit down on the chair by my desk when he saw something on the floor. Frowning, he walked away from my desk to grab the object on the floor. "What is this?"

I squinted my eyes to see the object in his hand when I dashed to him and grabbed the key. "It's...nothing," I stammered while I tried to hide the key from him. He ran around me and as quick as lightening, he snatched the key from my hand. He held it up in the air while I was jumping like a child trying to get her toy from a bully.

"This is a strange key. It's one I haven't seen before," he said as his eyes narrowed on the key. He inspected it in the air, holding it close to the light.

"That's because it's a rare key. Only certain mages can summon the spirit from the key," I answered him. I put both hands on my waist, which only emphasized my body.

Briefly, his eyes roamed my figure before he lowered the key. He gave it back to me. Gratefully, I cradled the key to my chest. He walked to the chair and sat down. He appeared lost in thought as he put his elbow on his thigh. His hand went under his chin while he gazed up at the ceiling.

"I wonder if Aquarius was talking about the same key," he thought aloud.

"What key?" I asked all of a sudden.

"Aquarius said that there was a special key that your mother, Layla, was able to summon spirits with."

"Spirits? As in more than one spirit?"

"Yes. She was able to summon three spirits. Each from a different world."

"Really?" I sounded really excited about the prospect of summoning three spirits. I looked at the key cradled in my hands with awe.

"She was able to summon them. You, being her daughter and carrying her blood, will be able to summon the spirits as well."

"So only my family can summon them?"

He nodded his head. "The key is tied to your bloodline and only anyone with your blood can summon the spirits. No other celestial mage can do so," he finished.

"Did Aquarius tell you how to summon them?" I questioned hopefully.

He shook his head. "Only that's it's going to be a painful process. Part of summoning the spirits is to know the right time you can contact them. Since there are three spirits, you will have to endure three painful ways to summon them."

I transferred the key in one hand and put my other hand on his shoulder to comfort him. "Thank you for telling me. Normally, I know you're not allowed to discuss about other mages' spirits due to confidentiality."

"It's alright. I'm happy that I can be of service to you princess," he replied. He wrapped strong fingers around my wrist and smiled flirtatiously at me. "I'm always here to be of service to you in any way."

I shook my head at him, realizing that he wouldn't change his flirtatious manner with me during any situation. "Okay, Loke."

He brought my wrist to his lips and gently kissed it. My cheeks reddened and he laughed at my reaction. Then, he disappeared, only leaving a golden imprint in my mind.

Right after he vanished, I heard a knock on the door, notifying me that Erza returned from the bakery. I walked to the door and opened it. I watched her walk into my kitchen with a brown bag full of pastries and cakes. They smelled delicious. And then I had an epiphany. Loke said the black and white key was connected to my bloodline. I hadn't summoned my celestial spirits and I deliberately put myself in dangerous situations hoping to activate it. What if I spilled some of my blood on the key? Maybe my blood was the missing link to opening up a gateway to another world. I nodded my head eagerly while smiling brightly at the red headed mage. Realizing I still had the key clutched tightly in my fingers, I hid it behind me. I walked backwards from the kitchen to the dresser in my room. While Erza began telling me of her adventure in the bakery and she was busy taking out the delicious pastries and cakes from the bag, I opened the first drawer my hand could reach and dropped the key in it. Next time when I had another chance to be alone, I was going to try to summon my first spirit.

* * *

**One Year Later**

**Levy's Perspective**

I closed my eyes on reflex, waiting for Natsu's body to collide into me. I knew I was too weak to get off the floor or I would be too slow to dodge him.

Three seconds passed and I didn't feel anything. Opening my eyes, I saw a slender figure standing in front of me wearing all black. There were chains dangling on small wrists and pink hair shimmered in the light. I gasped when I realized that Lucy's spirit, Virgo, was standing in front of me.

But how could Lucy's spirit be here? I knew that Lucy wasn't dead. But she wasn't alive either. She should be unable to summon her celestial spirits.

Peering around her form, I noticed that Natsu was a couple of inches away from her. His red eyes widened in shock as the sardonic smile left his face. He, too, clashed with an unexpected force.

"Virgo!" Wendy cried as she saw Lucy's spirit staring at Natsu with a calm expression. "What are you doing here?"

"My Princess ordered me to save Levy from Natsu," she said placidly. Her face remained as cool as ice, tough and untouched. Natsu's magical aura didn't affect her.

"Is Lucy still alive?" he asked of all sudden. His voice changed from a dark tone to a light one. My eyes widened when I saw his red eyes were turning into their original color, onyx. His fists clenched and unclenched while he awaited Virgo's answer. The stance in his body changed into an unguarded one.

"Princess is alive," she answered. "But not for long."

"What do you mean?' he questioned as he ran to Virgo. The book remained forgotten in my arms.

"From the last mission when you saw she was stabbed, the angel girl kept her alive by summoning her spirit, Seer. Seer froze my Princess' wound to prevent her from dying."

I gasped as I realized what happened to Lucy. Angel, one of Oracion Seis members, had come back with the intent on getting revenge on Fairy Tail for the Oracion Seis and Infinity Clock incidents. She was hell bent on giving Lucy pain for their previous fight. Instead of killing Lucy, as she done with other celestial mages, she kept her alive.

"Why did she save Lucy?" I asked, causing Natsu to look at me. Wendy slowly made her way to me all while Natsu kept a watchful eye on me. Virgo kept her attention on Natsu. Lightly, Wendy put her hands on my throat. I winced in pain. A bright light flashed in her hands as I felt a warm, soothing power against the delicate skin of my throat. By the time Wendy healed me, I felt better.

Slowly, Virgo turned around to face me when she deemed that Natsu wasn't a threat. "The angel girl wants to summon Princess' spirits and to destroy Magnolia."

I swallowed to moisten my throat before speaking. "But to keep Lucy alive, she has to freeze Lucy's physical body so that Lucy is caught between the world of the living and the dead," I said.

Virgo nodded. "She has control of Princess' appearance in this world. With summoning her, she can summon her spirits, including myself."

"If you're here, how can Lucy order you to save me when she's under Angel's command?" Natsu growled at hearing Lucy being under someone else's control. We ignored him since we knew he was no longer our enemy. Instead, he was more interested in learning how to save Lucy.

"Seer has released my Princess from his power and she is using the last of her energy to save Magnolia," Virgo replied. I breathed in large amount of air and slowly exhaled it while I shook my head. It was too late to save Magnolia, because most of it was burned by Natsu. Most of the Fairy Tail members died. Wendy, Natsu, Lucy and I were the last members left.

"It's too late," Wendy said with a sadness that laced her voice.

"It's not too late," another voice chimed in. All of a sudden a clock man appeared beside Virgo and she smiled as she bowed to him. He was a weird and tall spirit, dressed in a long blue jacket, black leather pants, black boots and a long hat that covered his head. When he turned to face Wendy and me, we both gasped in fright at his face. He didn't have eyes, nose or mouth. His face consisted of features from a clock. There were numbers from one too twelve, with a long hand and short hand. There was another hand that was ticking the time. From the information I recalled from Lucy's book, there was a spirit known as Seer who could control time. He was able to open portals to different worlds such as the past and the future. He could freeze time and be able to predict the future. If Angel could summon and control such a being, it meant that Angel's family originated from a long line of summoners. Yukino Argia, her sister, was another member from a long line of summoners.

"Excuse me," Natsu retorted, moving closer to the clock man spirit.

Seer raised his hands in a defensive gesture. "I suggest you show him some respect," Virgo warned the fire dragon slayer. "He saved Princess' life."

Natsu stopped dead in his tracks and clenched his fists in frustration.

"I can change the events," he said, which caused Wendy to gasp. Digesting his words, I shook my head, knowing what he really meant. He could change the events in another alternate world that would lead to our events but he couldn't change what happened in our world.

"How?" Natsu growled as he grabbed the spirit's shoulder.

"I could send one of you in the past to change the future," he said. I noticed he wasn't telling the others the full truth. I wanted to say something but when he turned his clock face in my direction, I somehow knew he was admonishing me to stay quiet.

"Which one of us?" Wendy asked with a small voice. She sat down next to me while she clutched her small hands in one of mine. My other arm fiercely tightened around the book.

"Princess said that Natsu is the one who should be sent to the past," Virgo replied.

Automatically, Wendy stood up and shook her head. Her blue hair went flying in her face. "No! He'll destroy Fairy Tail like he did here!"

"Not as long as my Princess is alive," Virgo said. "He's the only one with enough power to stop the events from happening. He can save Princess from getting hurt. He will stop the transformation of turning into his evil self. He can keep Princess safe while she learns more about herself. Her happiness is our one." I knew when Virgo meant "our" she was referring to Lucy's other spirits.

"Alright," I said, fully intent on telling Wendy the complete truth about Seer's ability after he sent Natsu into the past.

Seer nodded his head and turned his body to face Natsu. "Do you want to go back in time to save Lucy?" he asked. His tone sounded grim.

Natsu nodded his head, unable to speak. I was amazed when I saw moisture by his eyes as though he was shedding tears for Lucy. Did he understand that Lucy was going to die in this world?

"Do you want to know the consequences of your actions if I transport you into the past?" Seer questioned him.

Natsu moved too quickly for me to see. One second he was standing a few inches away from Seer. The next second he was in front of him grabbing the collars of his jacket and shaking him. "I don't care what happens to me! All I care about is her!"

Seer raised his hands and touched Natsu's face. Natsu eyes widened as did mine. A mysterious magic glowed from the Seer's body. The bright orange color emanated from his form to Natsu's until Natsu glowed brightly. His body began to tremble before he let go of Seer. He collapsed to his knees before the tall spirit. The clock man bent down to keep his hands connected to Natsu's face. Removing one hand from Natsu's face, Seer snapped his fingers and Natsu vanished.

At the same time, Virgo glanced down at us. She slightly bowed before Wendy and me. Her pink lips curled into a half smile on her usually stoic face. With her head down she said, "It was my pleasure doing business with you."

The Seer took his hat off in a gentlemanly manner, which shocked me because he had black hair gelled into perfection on his head. He bowed before us as well. "The same as what she said," he replied.

I opened my mouth to respond when with a snap of his fingers, they disappeared. In that instant, I knew Lucy was no longer a part of our world.


	4. Chapter 3

**Thank you to the people for following and adding this story to their favorites. I really appreciate it.**

* * *

**Chapter 3**

* * *

**Present Day**

**Lucy's Perspective**

The next four days was a blur. Erza spent two days and nights at my apartment, babysitting me. On the third night, Gray and Juvia spent the night, although it was awkward for me because I felt like I was having someone boring holes in my head the whole night. Plus, I had to make a wall of pillows to separate me from Gray because he had the habit of stripping his clothes without being aware of it. I was already injured and didn't want to die from Juvia's hands. The forth night, I was greeted by Natsu, who was acting bizarre. Whenever I asked him a question about what he did the past three days he didn't visit me, he would rub his head and laugh strangely and then try to change the subject. I wondered if he took any missions without me because as much as he admitted I was his partner, he also had to earn money.

I shook my head as I watched him and Happy looking through the Weekly Sorcerer Magazines while lying on the couch. While turning the page, I couldn't help but watch the way his muscles rippled underneath the tough skin of his right arm. If I touched him, would his muscles respond the same way?

"It's all about the same thing," Natsu said as he closed the magazine and threw it aside. "The author writes nonsense about people to make money."

"Are you sure about that?" I asked him while I crossed my arms over my chest. "I discovered a lot about Fairy Tail from it."

"You may have, but I was the one who had you officially join our guild and family," he said. He glanced at me with a big grin on his face and I couldn't help but return his smile. Natsu had an infectious personality. Whatever he felt, others felt it too. He inspired others to do their best and never give up. When I was a newbie at Fairy Tail and I accompanied him on his mission, I was astonished at how much power he had. Facing other opponents stronger than him, he found the strength and strategy to defeat them. It was through witnessing him fight his battles, did I see a different side of him. Natsu wasn't as dense as people thought him to be. Sometimes, when I observed his actions long enough, I could see a strange glint in his onyx eyes; he was aware of his surroundings but he played clueless to catch people by surprise.

"Right," I agreed. I was moving around my room, trying to clean up the mess he and Happy left behind. As I was picking up some of the magazines by the side of the couch, I saw Natsu sit up on the couch. His frame went rigid as his eyes widened. Turning my attention to the door, I heard an instant knock that caused me to frown. Who would visit me tonight? Erza and Gray had plans. Levy was still giving me the cold shoulder. The other Fairy Tail guild members called me or sent their regards through Erza.

Someone knocked on the door again. I was about to put down the magazines when Natsu stood up from the couch with Happy in tow. He walked calmly to the door and breathed a name before I dropped the magazines on the floor. "Lisanna."

What was she doing here? She never visited my apartment before. The door opened to reveal a beautiful silver haired girl dressed in a long blue dress and white sandals. She smiled the moment her blue eyes landed on Natsu. His eyes widened more when she threw herself into his arms. At first, his arms dangled at his side lifelessly. Slowly, he raised his arms and wrapped them around her small form. My mouth opened as I watched what seemed like a private moment between the two people; feeling like an outsider although they were in my home.

From what I heard from the members at Fairy Tail, Lisanna and Natsu were childhood friends. Before her supposed death, they were inseparable. I remember I once mentioned something about her and Natsu got vex at me. I recoiled at seeing his anger directed at me and didn't mention about her again. Plus, I would never want Natsu mad at me or as a foe because his emotions gave him brutal strength. One punch from him could do a hundred times worse than the beating I received from Gajeel during the Lord Phantom incident.

"Lisanna," he said her name softly. "What are you doing here?"

"I remembered you're spending a night at Lucy's place and I realized that I was rude for not visiting her. I wanted to say hello to her," Lisanna replied. She stepped away from Natsu when he unwrapped his arms around her slender form and walked to me.

"Hello, Lucy," she greeted me with a bright smile. "How are you?"

I tried to say something but words wouldn't leave my mouth. She lifted her hands to her curvy pinks lips to stifle her giggles. Happy flew into her chest and wailed her name. "Lisanna!" She caught him and tenderly hugged him.

"Hello to you too, Happy."

"Lucy," Natsu called my name, breaking me from my reverie. I blinked my eyes before clearly looking at him. I noticed he didn't call me by given nickname.

"Yes."

"Are you okay?" He asked me. He swiftly passed Lisanna to stop in front of me. I had to raised my chin to look at him, realizing he was a few inches taller than me. A large, hot hand touched my forehead and I inhaled a deep breath at the impact. "You don't have a fever."

"Maybe, she needs to rest. Why don't you put her on the couch?" I opened my mouth to snap at Lisanna when Natsu suddenly swept me off my feet. Talk about being surprised, I never expected him to gently carry me to the couch or to slowly put me down on it. I could feel the heat rising in my cheeks as I smelled sandalwood from him. I almost leaned into him but I stopped myself because we had an unexpected audience.

When he deposited me on the couch, Lisanna was already standing next to him. My eyebrows furrowed when I saw her hand was holding his sleeve. She was standing closely next to him that if he raised his head, his lips would be mere inches from hers. I wanted to scream, to get Natsu's attention on me but she lowered her head and whispered something in his ear. His eyebrows touched together as if he was pondering about something and then a grim expression took over his handsome face. Instantly, he stood upright and looked at Lisanna. "You don't mind staying with Lucy a little bit?" he asked her.

Why was he talking about me like I wasn't in the same room?

"Natsu," I was finally able to say his name and I wanted to give myself a pat on the back. Instead, Lisanna nodded her head. He glanced at me, his eyes lingering on my face before he turned his back on me. "What happened, Natsu?"

He moved away from me by heading to the open window. Happy looked worried. "Lets go, Happy."

"Aye, sir!" Happy exclaimed as he saluted his best friend. He flew to Natsu's side and together, they jumped through the open window, leaving me alone with Lisanna.

"What's going on?" I questioned her. I felt a twinge in my chest when I noticed how Natsu responded to Lisanna. Their interaction was full of familiarity and I couldn't help but wonder how much I missed during my absence at Fairy Tail.

"Master Makarov wants to see Natsu for something," Lisanna answered. She sat down at the corner of the couch. Her hands poised perfectly on her knees while her attention was on the floor. Normally, I didn't mind having guild members in my home since I viewed them as family. But there was something about Lisanna that didn't sit well with me. She was a nice girl, who made other people laugh. But I didn't like how her eyes followed Natsu wherever he went or how she situated herself next to him.

However, who was I to judge her? I was no better than her. Every day I found myself looking for him, waiting for his slight touches, to see his bright smiles as he approved of my actions, or hear my nickname from his lips. I shook my head and refocused my attention on the different reasons Master Makarov called for him.

Then, I remembered how she lied about wanting to say hello to me. Her duty was to pass a message to Natsu without letting me know. How she let the cat out the bag.

"Do you know why Master Makarov wants to see him?" I questioned her. She shrugged her shoulders as she nervously began to play with her fingers. Instantly, I could tell she knew the reason Natsu returned to Fairy Tail, but she wasn't sure if should tell me anything. "You know you could tell me. I won't tell him or anyone else."

LIsanna quickly glanced at me before she looked away. She was wringing her arms and shaking one leg. It must have been a serious matter for Lisanna to come visit me in person or else she would have stayed away.

Just about when I was going to give up, I heard her inhale a deep breath. She let it go. Then she stunned me with the information Natsu refused to tell me when I asked him what he did the past three days. "The day Natsu, Happy and I planned a fishing trip was a lie. Natsu took a job to earn money and he asked me to come along because you couldn't."

I felt like Lisanna thrust a dagger into my heart. I blinked several times in hopes to stop tears from forming in my eyes. Gratefully, she never noticed them because she was too busy trying to tell her story that she couldn't look at me.

Was she aware of my feelings for him? Or did she feel guilty for going on a private mission with him?

"Natsu took a job to discover the reason people were disappearing from the Magnolia Trail. Apparently, there are a lot of missing people reports and yet there are no clues as to what's the cause of their disappearance. The only news we know is that the people have no magic ability and are mostly travelers from outside Magnolia."

I closed my eyes and lay my head on arm chair of the couch. I let her words drown out my emotions for a certain pink haired dragon slayer.

"On the first day of our mission, we came across a lovely couple whom wanted to visit their friends in Magnolia. We met them outside of Magnolia forest and accompanied them on their journey when Natsu got distracted from a scream. He rushed ahead to find the location while Happy and I stayed behind with the couple. Then, the scream got louder and it surrounded us on all sides. I covered my ears and closed my eyes for a couple of seconds and when I opened them, the man and the woman vanished. Happy was the only one next to me."

I shivered from the chilliness in her words. The thought of the couple vanishing and the mysterious piercing scream had me wondering if the forest was haunted.

"Natsu returned an hour later. Happy was trying to console me when Natsu noticed they weren't with us anymore. We scanned the forest using our magical abilities but Natsu's enhanced senses nor my takeover mage abilities could detect any traces from them. For the past two days we accompanied other people and they went missing as well."

I breathed in a long breath of air through my nose and exhaled it through my mouth. Shakily, I ran a hand through my hair, riling up my already unkempt blond hair and I opened my eyes. "The only leads you have is the forest?" I questioned her.

She nodded her head while she kept her attention rooted on the floor. Her fingers wrapped tightly around the material of her dress.

"You heard a high pitch voice surrounding your area before the people disappeared?"

Again, she nodded her head.

"You didn't find any more evidence elsewhere?"

"Yes," she answered. Her voice was almost too soft for me to hear her accurately.

"And Master Makarov wants to see Natsu because of this mission?"

"Yes and no."

"What does that mean?"

Lisanna finally had the guts to look me in the eye as she turned her body in my direction. "What I'm about to tell you is top secret. I overheard my sister discussing this serious matter with Master Makarov."

I nodded my head while keeping eye contact with her. Finally I was getting somewhere.

"Magical guilds have been receiving anonymous attacks. And around the same time of the attacks, three deadly prisoners escaped from prison. The Magic Council refuses to reveal who are the convicts. Only a selected few will receive more information if they are chosen by the master of their guilds to pursue the prisoners."

Everything was beginning to click into place. Apparently, the other missions and the attacks in the guild were decoys while the prisoners escaped. Which left another question. "Was Fairy Tail attacked recently?"

"No!" Lisanna exclaimed.

Turning my attention elsewhere, I closed my eyes while putting a hand on my head. "Don't you find it strange that other guilds are attacked and Fairy Tail is still in one piece?"

"Our rival, Twlight Ogre, hasn't been attacked either," she said. I nodded, thinking about the different possibilities.

"What other guilds have been touched by the one responsible?"

"Sabertooth, Blue Pegasus and other minor guilds around the area were attacked."

"So they are following a line around those guild locations," I said. "Do you know any more information?"

I glanced at her and saw her shook her head. I smiled at her as a show of gratitude for revealing private information because she confirmed a lot of my suspicions. And then I felt a strange shift in the air. Automatically, I raised my chin to stare out the window. My body went on high alert while goose bumps formed on my skin. I turned to look at Lisanna to see if she felt it too. She was looking down at her intertwined fingers on her lap.

"Lisanna, did you feel something in the atmosphere?" I questioned her to make sure what I felt wasn't from my imagination.

Lisanna's perplexed face pointed toward my direction. Her head shook from side to side, leaving me to wonder what I felt was real or surreal. I shook my head and jumped in shock when I heard Natsu entered my window. His voice boomed with seriousness. "Lisanna, we have to go!"

She jumped to her feet and dashed to Natsu's side. I jerked from my seat, wanting to move to his side too, but he moved toward me and placed his larger hands on my shoulders. My face twisted when I looked up at him. He knew what my facial expression meant since we have been partners for a long time.

"Not you, Luce," he said in a low baritone that made me want to quiver but I had to control myself in front of the other two guests.

"Why?" I asked in a small voice. All of a sudden all the strength from the day sapped away, leaving me feeling lethargic. I guessed I only responded this way to Natsu.

"Master Makarov said for you to report to Fairy Tail tomorrow morning. We have to head there tonight for some business," Natsu said. I know he was purposely leaving out a lot of information. He probably didn't know that Lisanna shared it to me already.

"What kind of business?" I grabbed onto the end of his shirt. Carefully he placed both hands over mine and began to gently pull each finger away from his shirt.

"Don't make this any harder than it already is, Luce. Your top priority is to rest."

Lisanna moved next to him and clutched his arm. "We have to go. I don't want Master Makarov to be mad at us." Natsu shuddered in fear and stepped away. Lisanna didn't notice but I saw how she was looking at how Natsu's held my hand for a moment longer before letting it go. She clutched the sleeve of his shirt tighter and was intentionally pulling him away from me.

"Aye, Lisanna" Happy replied as he flew around their heads. I watched with a bit of sadness as Natsu turned his back to me. Lisanna and Happy followed after him as the three of them went through the window. Natsu jumped out the window. Pulling myself swiftly from the couch, I saw how Lisanna launched herself out of my window to fall into Natsu's arms. She wrapped her arms around his strong shoulders and said something cheerfully to him. He laughed in return and walked away from my home with her in his arms. Happy flew out the window and perched himself on top of Natsu's left shoulder. Tears began to pour from my eyes as they disappeared into the dark streets. I should have been the one who was going to guild with him, not Lisanna. I should have been the one he held in his arms, but I wasn't the one. It was Lisanna. Slowly but surely she was beginning to take my place in Team Natsu.

Stubbornly, I wiped the tears away from my cheeks. But the tears kept on falling down from my face like how the rain fell from the sky. Blindly I walked to my kitchen, relying on knowing the layout since I have been living in my apartment for years. Once I got there, I began to search the area for a napkin. My hands reached for items and they weren't what I was searching for. I tossed them aside, either across the counter or on the floor. Then, something sharp pierced my skin and I gasped at the pain. Wiping away the sudden tears from my eyes, I noticed a sharp kitchen knife cut my palm. Blood was pouring from the cut, the droplets fell onto the floor. I dashed from the kitchen to the desk because I remembered having some band aids by the bookshelf. When I reached there, I pushed around a few items. I went into the corner of the desk, shifting the black and white key. Finally, I found the band aids and I struggled to open them while getting blood all over the paper and plastic wrapping. Giving up, I dropped the band aids and wept. I curled into a ball and clutched my bleeding palm to my chest. The emotions from seeing Lisanna with Natsu; discovering they went on a mission and not have Natsu tell me, hurt. I felt like someone was pulling my heart from my chest. I could barely breathe. And then I had that dreadful feeling. It was the same one I felt when Cana's Grim Reaper card appeared in her hand. The fluttering in my chest quickened to a point I was panting.

A bright flash appeared from the corner of my peripheral vision and slowly the stranger moved closer to me. Moving my head toward the person, I gasped for air. The person, no, a small girl with long black hair kneeled before me. Her white dress had splatters of red droplets. Her small heart-shaped face moved closer to me until I could see her eyes, the color of emeralds, staring back at me. "Are you okay?" she asked in a small voice.

I opened my mouth to say something and I ended up breathing air into my lungs. "That's it," she said as she comforted me. She lightly patted my back and rubbed small circles while she said encouraging words to make me feel better. I could feel my heart beat slowing down as I got my breathing under control. For some reason, her presence felt soothing. I felt as if I knew her. When my breathing was under control and my tears stopped falling, I retreated from her. I heard a tear of fabric and then something wrapped firmly against my hand. I flinched and tried to move away but she kept a firm grip on my hand.

"Who are you?" I questioned her.

"Silly, you should know who I am," she responded as she tilted her head to examine me further.

"I don't know you," I said. I slapped her hand away from me and crawled away from her. I cradled my wounded hand to my chest. Slowly, she rose to her feet and my mouth almost dropped to the floor. There were vines wrapped from her small feet to her knees. Leaves and white flowers encased the lower part of her legs. Her feet were bare as she wiggled her small toes. Her arms went behind her to emphasize the white dress she wore with little droplets of blood. She looked to be about Wendy's age and height as she looked at me with wide green eyes.

"Don't you feel me?"

"Feel?"

"Close your eyes and feel your surroundings with your magical aura. You will know who I am," she instructed.

"How do I know you won' t kill me?" I questioned her while I backed myself into a wall.

"It will go against my code of conduct to hurt you," she advised.

We stared at each other. Finally giving in, I closed my eyes and tapped into my magic. Sending the magical waves around me, I almost wheezed as I felt her magic tugging with mine. We were linked in a familiar way, except her magical color was boarding in between black and white. Her aura was not gold or silver like my spirits. Suddenly, I opened my eyes.

"You're from the mysterious key," I said in shock while I pointed at her.

"Yes," she laughed. "I am only one of your spirits. My name is Gaia. It's nice to finally meet you."

* * *

**One Year Later**

**Levy's Perspective**

The moment Natsu and the spirits vanished, the walls started to burn. The smoke was getting in through the open window Natsu passed through. I began coughing while I struggled to stand on both of my feet but I didn't have the strength in me. The smoke turned black and was seeping into Lucy's room, blinding me. My eyes watered as I blindly held out my hand to feel the floor. I was looking for Wendy's hand. I moved into a better position for me to crawl while I grabbed the collar of my shirt and put it over my nose. I knew I wouldn't last much longer in the smoke if I just sat in one place hoping for Wendy to find me. I had to stay away from the walls and try not to bump into Lucy's desk and chair. If I made it to the open window, I could jump right out the building. I was taking a big risk with heading into the smoke instead of avoiding it but I didn't believe I withstood a better chance of surviving. Besides, I couldn't think of me anymore. I had someone else to think about.

As I crawled straight, I knew the window was on my right, just beside Lucy's bed. Slowly, lifting one hand over the other, I felt ground ahead of me, making sure that I didn't bump into any objects or I wasn't crawling into a heated spot. I coughed some more and blinked my watery eyes as I tried to move within the burning room. Through the dark clouds of smoke, I made out yellow flames that ate the walls. The flames were coming closer to me.

I hesitated for a second, I stopped moving as I peered around me, searching for another exit. There was the doorway that led to the stairs to reach the main door or the other doorway that led to the bathroom. I still didn't know if I should risk going to the window anymore. I was about to change direction when I felt someone's hand on top of mine. I jumped and accidentally bumped into another smaller frame. Turning my head toward the other person, I realized Wendy found me. Clutching my hand, she pointed toward the direction of the window. I nodded my head. As I watched part of her covered face again point to the direction, she crawled before me, leaving me to follow her. Every step I took to get closer to the window caused me to cough. At one point, Wendy glanced over her shoulder to make sure I was alright. The shape of her body became clearer as we got closer to the flames. I didn't notice when Lucy's apartment no longer had electric lighting, but ironically the flames became our only source of light. However, it made the apartment unbearably hot until the tender skin on my hands began searing with pain. Crawling was becoming impossible.

Then we hit the window. Wendy stood up and reached for my hand. When her small hand tightly clutched onto one of my hands, I winced in pain, but I withstood it while I gathered the last of my strength to stand on my two feet. The window was too small for the both of us to fit through. Wendy swung one leg over, forcing me to move closer to the window since she held my hand. When she swung her other leg over the windowsill, I was half leaning and slouching by the windowsill while she sat on it.

"We're going to have jump," she said with a teary voice. I leaned closer to see the situation outside. My eyes watered as I saw the familiar streets of Magnolia engulfed with flames. Even if we jumped out the window and landed with means to move, we couldn't find a path to lead us out of Magnolia. "We have to do it now!"

I tiredly nodded my head. Tears fell out of my eyes as I raised one leg over ledge. The ledge was big enough for Wendy to shift so that I could sit down next to her. Raising my other leg, I shuffled my body until I was seated next to her. "Are you sure this jump won't kill us?" I asked her. I sounded weary and I felt like giving up.

"Do you trust me?" Wendy asked in return. I glanced over at her and swiped a hand through my dirty hair. Nodding my head, she grabbed my hand. "Hold my hand tightly and don't let go," she commanded. She stood awkwardly on the ledge, forcing me to wobble as I stood with her. "With a count to three, we are going to fall." But she never had the chance to count to three. Immediately, I lost my footing on the ledge and found myself assailing sideways through the air. Wendy followed me and with a loud voice, she announced her magical power. "Sky dragon roar!" A huge gust of wind blew from her mouth as she directed it on the floor and amazingly, the wind kept her hovering in the air as she reached for me. Her hand clasped mine and somehow we flew. She kept using the wind from her mouth to keep us hovering in the air while she used her head movements to direct us in flying over Magnolia. I never knew how strong Wendy was to keep us floating through the air and I didn't know how many minutes passed, but she got tired and little by little her wind brought us to the ground, where we landed ungracefully. She fell on her hands and knee and I was laying on back. When I was able to sit upright, I glanced around us to see the fire surrounding us on all sides. Flames and smoke was rising and was closing in on us. I scanned the area for a way out, noticing Wendy almost took us on the outskirts of Magnolia.

"I guess, this is the end for us," Wendy said with a sad expression on her face. Her dark watery eyes looked at me with so much despair. We had tried to escape the burning fires of Magnolia, only to fail. Maybe we were finally able to meet the other Fairy Tail members in the afterlife. I clasped both of her hands in my own while I went down to my knees.

"If it's the end, then we'll die together," I told her. She nodded her head and we stood together in the midst of flames, waiting for our faith.

Her hands tightened on mine and we looked into the skies. I would finally get to see my Gajeel. I only wished our baby could see everyone. And glancing down at my tummy, I closed my eyes and apologized to my unborn baby as more tears fell from my face.

Then of all of a sudden, a huge wind blew by us. Strands of blue hair covered my face and I had to let go of Wendy's hands to brush them away. When my vision cleared up, I never expected to see a huge blimp floating in the dark sky or the smart mage, Hikibi Lates, to be standing on it and waving at us.


	5. Chapter 4

**Thank you for taking your time to read this story. Additionally, thank you to the people who are adding this story to their favorite and follow list. Your support means a lot to me. However, there are some reviewers who are complaining about the plot of this story. I know there are confusing parts about this story. Please PM me questions. I don't mind responding back. However, in due time everything will be answered. Think of a puzzle being put together. One piece is unclear. Multiple pieces gives you sense what the picture is and once all the pieces are put together, there is one big and clear image. Hopefully, I can make this story come out that way.**

* * *

**Chapter 4**

* * *

**Present Day**

**Lucy's Perspective**

I didn't know what happened last night but the moment I woke up in the apartment, I didn't want to be alone. Maybe, I have grown used to Erza's, Gray's and Natsu's presence in my home. Or maybe it was all the messed up shit that was happening at once that made me an emotional wreck. The apartment was too quiet and looked too empty. The mess of magazines remained on the floor. The kitchen shutters were closed to remove any trace from the sunlight outside. A mess remained on my desk to prove last night I was bleeding and my first encounter with the spirit I was trying to summon for awhile.

Wiping my tired eyes, I looked at my hand to see it was bandaged. Wiggling my thumb, I noticed there was no pain, which was awkward. Momentarily forgetting the cut, I forced my heavy limbs out of bed to only fall at the side of it. "Damn it!" I muttered to myself. "How could I let myself turn into a train wreck!"

"Quite simple, silly," another voice replied, sounding like a child. I shrieked and I found myself on my knees, eyes alert and hands out to ward whoever was in my apartment.

"Who's there?" I asked when I saw no one in my room.

A little person popped out of nowhere, carrying a big tray of delicious smelling food and tea, although I couldn't comprehend how she balanced it so easily in her hands. Carefully, she placed the tray on the table before looking at me. "You can't possibly forget someone like me?"

My eyes widened as she accosted me. Today, she wore a green sundress that matched her eyes. Her long hair was tied up in a ponytail. Her feet were bare but vines still wrapped from her ankles to her knees. I sat on my rear and scooted back. Fear was evident in my eyes.

"I don't get you humans." The girl stopped and shook her head at my reaction. "You spent so much time trying to summon me and now that I'm here, you're scared."

I swallowed in uncertainty and then apologized for my abrupt behavior.

"I can't say that I'm not in the right either," the girl said as she slowly approached me. To her, I must appear as a frightened animal caged in some hellhole. Carefully, she extended her hand out and waited for me to take it. "I've been in the other world too long, waiting for you to summon me. When you did, I finally got the freedom your mother granted me."

"You... k-new my... mo-ther," I fumbled with my words, upset with the fact that I couldn't talk simple English to the spirit.

The spirit tilted her head while giving me a funny expression. "Of course, silly!" A bright smile appeared on her face and I couldn't help but smile back. Shakily, I lifted a hand to meet her outstretched one. The moment her small fingers closed over mine, I felt a tingling connection traveling from the tips of my fingers all the way down to my toes. I gasped as I stared at her in wonder. Her aura radiated in shimmers of green and gray. Weren't the colors of her aura white and black last night?

"Who are you, really?" I couldn't helped but ask the question. Her aura felt different from my other celestial spirits. Their spirits were cool and calm to my touch. Her aura pulsed with magical waves, fluctuating between high and low. I didn't think my weak level of magic could keep her in the earth world for long.

"I gather you didn't read the book your father left you," the spirit said with a bleak tone. Her eyes bored into mine for a couple seconds and my cheeks turned crimson. "It's important that you read it as soon as possible. It tells the history of celestial mages and their spirits. Also, it speaks of the forbidden magic celestial mages can do but was lost through time."

Quickly I glanced at my desk, then I felt her tugging me to the table where the delicious aroma overtook the atmosphere. I closed my eyes and inhaled such wonderful food, trying to remember the last time I smelled food as equally delicious. The spirit giggled at my reaction and I heard the creak of the other wooden chair across from me. Opening my eyes, I noticed how elegant her poise was as she reached for the tea cups, preparing them. She knew how I liked two sugars, hot water poured to the brim and didn't add any cream in my tea. As if she observed my astonished reaction, she smiled and her next words caused me to still. "You are just like your mother. She liked having her tea the same way."

I stared at her with watery eyes and then blinked to subside the tears. "It's okay," the girl whispered sadly. "Your mother was a great and kind person. She treated all her spirits as equals. Never once did she disregard our roles as tools or servants for a greater purpose."

I nodded my head, agreeing with how she described my mother. She taught me to treat my spirits with respect and kindness.

"And I thought I wouldn't come across another person like her, I was wrong." The spirit beamed as she put empty plates on the table. She raised her hand in gesture to help myself. Automatically, I dived in for the pancakes, a muffin and a bowl of sliced assorted fruits. The moment I sliced a piece of pancake with a fork and put it into my mouth, I sighed in pleasure. She laughed at my reaction and then let me finish my breakfast before she settled back in her seat. "Are there any questions you want to ask?"

I nodded my head.

"Ask away, silly." Her laughter was infectious, making me smile too.

"Your key." I pointed at the black and white key sitting on my desk, viewable to everyone in the room. "What is your key? How did my family end up with possession of your key?"

"It's very astute of you to notice my key is unusual. Unlike the gold and silver keys, my key is extremely rare as are the other keys like it."

I frowned and she took my facial expression as cue to continue her explanation.

"As you are aware, there are twelve golden keys, plus the thirteenth one, and numerous amount of silver keys. The golden keys are rare and considered to summon the strongest of celestial spirits. In this account, it is both true and false."

"How?" I interrupted but she didn't appear mad. Instead her smile grew bigger. She picked up her cup of tea and slowly sipped it before continuing.

"The golden keys are rare but there are other rarer keys with more powerful spirits. Take for an instance the black keys or the soul keys."

"Soul keys," I repeated, never hearing about such keys.

"Yes, soul keys are exceptionally rare. These keys don't open gates to the celestial world. They open gates to other unknown worlds. A long time ago when summoners were common, keys became classified by color. Only families with offspring to carry summoner genes were gifted with soul keys. However, only summoners from that family line can summon the spirits from the soul key. My key is a soul key. Like your mother, you are the only one who can summon me."

"Oh."

"But I ask you not to tell your friends that you can summon me."

"Why?"

"You are right not to show the others my key because if they get to know about soul keys, others will get to know about it and your life will be placed in great danger."

"I don't get it," I said as I shook my head.

"You read your father's letter and he explained his actions to protect you and your mother."

My body stiffened and I sat upright on my chair. "Are you saying the Magic Council is after me?"

The spirit nodded her head. "I will tell you this for now but make sure to read the book for further details."

I affirmed with her that I would decipher the pages in the ancient book as soon as possible. It was my top priority to know the secrets because it somehow linked to my family history.

"A long time there were many summoners who could unlock gates from different worlds. At the time, the Magic Council wanted families to record their magical powers so they could archive and keep these familes in check. However, there were special regulations for summoners. They were to archive the spirits they summon and the world the spirits came from. The reason the Magic Council declared such special regulations was because more than one world was colliding with the earth world. If this continued over time, the Magic Council feared war of the worlds will occur or earth's destruction through unknown power. In wrath, the Magic Council sought summoners and punished them. They deemed that the silver keys were the only spirits allowed to be summoned. And summoners' names were reduced to celestial mages or celestial wizards. The only world that can be opened is the celestial one. Opening the gate to any other world is considered taboo."

"Holy shit," I muttered, recalling the time Yukino and I were able to close the Eclipse Gate using our twelve golden keys.

"You're right to be on the alert. The Magic Council is already aware of you and Yukino being able to open and close gates to other worlds. But they're more interested in you because you hold ten of the thirteen golden keys."

"So are the golden keys taboo as well? And I don't see why the Council will be interested in me. I'm so weak I can barely summon Plue."

"The gold keys were allowed to be used by celestial mages providing that not one user have all of them. Since you have ten of them, you have to be attentive of the Council's actions. And The fact that you hold fifteen keys is an accomplishment," the girl said with a seriousness that didn't fit in her small form. "An average celestial mage have two to four keys they can summon. Any other celestial mage with more keys is considered rare."

I frowned at her.

"You see, the more keys you have, the more magical energy it takes to sustain them. Even right now in your weakened state, your magic is being channeled in fifteen different spirits. The amount of energy they take from you should have you feeling constantly drained. In the past, if you noticed when you summoned one spirit, he/she didn't last long while fighting. This is because your spirits are constantly feeding from your energy. By being able to summon me, you will be more tired than usual because I am feeding from a huge chunk of your magical energy."

"I see," I thought out loud.

"And if you're trying to summon the other two spirits from my soul key, you will definitely be exhausted."

"Okay, I won't tell anyone," I said and then paused. "Wait! Can I tell my best friend, Levy? She's helping me decode the ancient language from the book."

The spirit brought the cup to her mouth and sipped lightly at her tea. I watched as she put her cup down on the saucer. "I don't see the harm in her knowing. She will be a great help with you learning more about summoners because that is who you are. But I think you should head into the guild and make up with her."

"Yes," I agreed while standing up from my chair. For the first time in days I felt healthy and strong. I stretched my arms above my head to wince in pain and dropped them back to my sides. Maybe I was pushing myself too hard and then something occurred to me. "How do you know that Levy is upset at me? How do you know about Yukino?"

The girl smiled mysteriously while she stood up from her chair. "You're already aware my name is Gaia."

I gaped at her for forgetting something as simple as her name. I should really stop hanging out with Natsu.

"Gaia, in my world is known as the spirit of the earth or mother nature. I don't have immense powers as my name but I can control a bit of earth magic."

"Really?" I was excited at the prospect of having another spirit that can control earth magic.

The girl named Gaia nodded her head. "I can control plants, make vines grow and grab things with them."

I bobbled my head eagerly, waiting for her to continue telling me her powers.

"I can read animals and get in their good graces. I can also read people's thoughts and feel their emotions. This gives me the upper advantage on the battlefield because I will know the enemies' strategies."

"So you are similar to Gemi's and Mini's abilities in knowing a person's thoughts?"

"Yes, and the good news is I can get more powerful over time. You just need to be able to summon the other two spirits or else I could only use a portion of my power. However, as our contract goes, I am better capable of attacking in the right setting. The perfect place is in a forest under direct sunlight. The other moves I have are a secret. You will learn about them in time. Otherwise, you can summon me to use supportive magic."

My eyes almost bugged out when she confessed she could get stronger and she had other surprises. I wondered how much stronger she could get if I could summon the other two spirits from the soul key.

"You should head to the guild. The pink haired guy said you had to report in this morning," Gaia said. She gathered the empty plates, saucers and teacups and put them in a tray. With a wink in my direction, she vanished. Her magic cut off from my link, leaving me to sink to the floor. Breathing for air, I rested my head against the chair and let myself rest a bit.

* * *

After I woke up in my empty apartment, I took my time in brushing my teeth, taking a bath and dressing in the appropriate attire that would conceal my skin. I wore black boot cut jeans, with a long sleeve red shirt and black ballet flats. I slipped on a belt with my pouch and keys and I braided my blond hair to one side. I carefully applied ointment and bandaged my hand. Moving to the desk, I decided to carry the soul key with my other keys because I knew how unwanted guests barged into my home. Gaia requested me to not tell anyone but Levy about it and I was going to keep her wish unless something else came up.

I locked up the door to my apartment and walked to the guild, refraining from walking on the ledge by the water because I knew in my frail condition, I would fall into it. At least the walking helped me gather my jumbled thoughts as I realized my assumption in activating the mysterious soul key had to do with shedding my blood. The key didn't act on magic and enchantment of words alone. And if Gaia controlled earth magic, I wondered what the other two spirits would look like. But would I have enough magical energy to summon them?

I didn't get the chance to ponder on the question as I pushed Fairy Tail guild doors open to be greeted with an almost empty hall. Mirajane's and Lisanna's friendly faces didn't welcome me nor did I see the usual bickering. The place was too quiet like my apartment. It felt eerie and I silently wished that Fairy Tail had all the normal members.

Where did everyone go?

The only people I saw was Master Makarov who was sitting silently on the bar table sipping beer from his cup. Kinana was wiping the counter to give it lustrous shine that Mirajane would be proud of. Levy was reading a book at a table along with her teammates, Shadow Gear. Laki was in another table, resting her head while Romeo was thinking deeply and his father was looking out the window.

I waved my hand as I said, "Hey." Everyone looked at me and grunted or said a simple hello before returning to their task. Was there something I was missing?

I made my way to the head master and sat down on a stool. Kinana greeted me with a friendly smile and asked me if I wanted anything. I asked for my regular strawberry smoothie. She nodded her head and went to prepare my order. I swiveled on the stool to face Master Makarov and narrowed my eyes. I recalled Natsu telling Lisanna they had business to discuss with Master Makarov. Could what Lisanna told me about the escaped convicts be the cause of the missing Fairy Tail members?

"Master," I greeted with a friendly but business tone.

He nodded his head to me.

"Where's everyone?" I asked him while gesturing my hand into the room. "It seems like most of the guild members are missing. Did they decide not to come in today or are they on missions?"

"Most of them are on a very important mission," the old man answered.

"Is the mission imperative to leave this guild with this much members?"

"Don't fret about it. They will return soon and Fairy Tail is in capable hands. Besides you shouldn't be using any magic while you're on the brink of recovering."

"Then was it a wise choice for me to make a trip here while I should be at home recuperating? As I see it, I still have one more week to stay at home before returning to Fairy Tail."

Master Makarov eyes widened. He idly began to tap his fingers on the bar while capturing Laki's, Levi's, Jet's and Droy's attention. "I called you here because I heard from Erza and Gray that you were complaining about being bored at home." He paused before he continued speaking. "Perhaps you can help me with filling out paperwork. You have a way with words when it comes to explaining about property damage."

Lightly, I shook my head. Part of the burden with being a master of a guild was filling out paperwork for each mission, contacting certain members in the Magic Council to verbally explain mission information or receive additional information and get requests from them, attend meetings, and be a powerful influence to gain respect from the members. Master Makarov did all the above but filling paperwork was tedious. He chose to do most of the work himself while choosing to trust a few people with personal information about Council meetings such as Laxus, Mirajane and Erza. Since they were three S-class members, he gave them the most difficult missions and had to entrust them with valuable information. Thus, for him to send mostly everyone on an important mission meant he had to entrust them with significant information he would have mostly likely would have shared with Laxus, Erza and Mirajane.

"I will help you but I keep on telling you you're ageing. All the paperwork you have to fill out is going to strain your eyes. You should have each team fill out their own paperwork; therefore, you have less work to worry about."

The old man smiled at my way of showing concern. "I should follow your advice but I'm sorry to say that not all people could handle filling out forms the way you do."

I shook my head and inhaled a deep breath. Blinking my eyes, old memories of me sitting at my desk with open business books and papers of definitions I needed to know filled my mind before disappearing. I let go a breath. "My father raised me to know how to run a business. He thought if I were to marry a wealthy business man, I would help to ensure his business success by running his business in his absence."

The old man grimaced as I saw Kinana's sad expression mar her beautiful face. She finished make my strawberry smoothie and placed it in front of me with a straw. I glanced at her and smiled gratefully. One of the best perks at working at the guild was enjoying free strawberry smoothies.

"I never knew Mr. Heartfilia's intentions was to have you use your skills for incredulous matters. I understand if because of his actions, you choose not to do anymore paperwork."

"No," I said. "It's okay. I would rather help Fairy Tail in any way I can instead of sitting on the sideline and watch everyone else do something important. If my business skills can help run Fairy Tail, that will be enough for me. It's just I'm worried for my teammates and I'm tired of sitting in the dark."

"I guess it's all in fairness if I tell you what's going on."

I looked around the room and noticed that everyone were sitting straight in their seats with their heads up. They were alert as they listened to Master Makarov's and my conversation.

"A couple weeks ago, the Magic Council received an alert system that their prison had been infiltrated. The strange part is not one of them sensed magical spells and couldn't find any physical evidence of forced entry or exit from the prison."

I was well aware of the prisons the Magic Council provided. It was frightening the different levels of cells they had. The most basic cell for the minor crimes consisted of a cell with bars, a bed, and a toilet. There were shackles for both hands and feet that sucked the magical power from a magical user. This form of cell was considered to be humane and it was mostly sought by evil doers when they were sent to prison. If the crimes were considered a felony, the cells became less adequate. Prisoners were forced to be naked and chained against the walls for most times. The chains had magic suction to prevent mages from using their magic, leaving them weak and helpless for neglecting or torture. For the ones who committed major crimes, they were placed in force field barriers with limited clothing. The barriers contained enormous shockwaves that were put on within a time frame. During the time frame prisoners' screams were heard that could give anyone nightmares. Sometimes prisoners were hung in the air, dangling by ropes that consisted of special magic to shock and suck magic from the user. If the Magic Council claimed convicts escaped from such high strung prisons without a trace, then something strange was at work.

"The three prisoners that escaped prison were three members from the Oracion Seis. You would know them, Lucy, because you have encountered them before. Angel, Midnight and Cobra are the three members."

I was shocked when I heard the familiar names from Master Makarov's lips. The one who echoed within my ears with such ease was Angel. She was a celestial mage like me. In fact, three of her golden keys chose to be in my possession after her first arrest. What was she after? I knew she warned me about seeking revenge. Was her rage strong enough for her to find a way to escape prison and return with another evil intention?

And how did she and the others escaped from prison?

"So, most of our members are handling the situation?" I asked him.

"Yes," he answered. "The Magic Council requested guilds in Magnolia to sent out their best wizards in teams to search for the three prisoners?"

I was going to ask the million dollar question. "You mentioned the prisoners escaped two weeks ago. Did all the other guilds outside Magnolia send most of their guild members to search for the convicts?" Although Lisanna told me about the other guilds being attacked, I wanted to know if they sent out their members as Master Makarov had done.

"They did," he confirmed as he frowned.

"And were the guilds attacked?"

His face turned grim when he nodded his head.

"Oh crap!" Laki said while Levy gasped. Her teammates looked at her with questionable expressions.

"Oh Mavis! What was I thinking?" Master Makarov muttered to himself but Kinana and I heard him. Kinana rested a hand on his shoulder and said, "You didn't know something like this was going to happen. The messenger warned us that we had to follow his directions or else Fairy Tail will have to answer to the Council."

"What happened?"

Kinana looked between me and the old man before receiving his permission to share the story with me. "Master sent a request to all the Fairy Tail members out on missions to return at once. We waited until last night to make the official announcement while the messenger read the details on the escape convicts on his scroll. The messenger declared that all the capable mages be sent to scout Magnolia because the three of them are located here. By doing so, there is a better chance that the citizens in Magnolia will be better protected. We were decreed by the Magic Council to obey their orders or Fairy Tail will be disbanded. Overall, the messenger did sound very persuasive."

"Were you there last night, Levy?" I averted my attention from Kinana to the bluenette.

Levy shook her head. "We didn't make it in time for the announcement."

"And you Laki, and Master Macao."

"We chose to stay here to hold down the fort."

I nodded my head.

"Hey! What about me?" Romeo asked.

I smiled at him politely. "I guess you wanted to go but your father and Master Makarov didn't let you."

"I would have been a bigger help out there than sitting here and doing nothing," he said. He folded his arms across his chest and I couldn't help but think how much he appeared like Natsu. It was natural for Romeo to want to help his guild but it was an action that Natsu would do. And Natsu had a way he inspired the guild to the point that I could claim he kept Fairy Tail alive.

My smile turned into a sad one and I glanced down at the floor to hide my emotions.

"Levy, we don't get what's going on," I heard Jet say as he gestured to himself and Droy.

Master Makarov interrupted them while shaking his head. "We sent most of our powerful mages into the field and we left Fairy Tail vulnerable for attacks."

"Without a base of operation, we won't be able to plan or to search and capture the convicts," I added. Jet, Droy and Romeo mouths opened in shock.

Master Makarov nodded and Levy agreed with what the both of us. Something wasn't right about the Council's plan. Why would they repeat the same events in Magnolia if the events were repeated in other guilds?

I picked up the strawberry smoothie, drank a bit of it and before putting it back on the counter. Then getting up, I excused myself and headed toward the back. No one stopped me because I helped Mirajane and Kinana run the bar. If I didn't, Kinana would have blocked my path. Most members besides S-Class, Levy, Kinana, and both masters of Fairy Tail were allowed behind the bar. Walking through the doors, I headed toward the back in the storage room. At the end of storage room was a stairway that led to the basement. It was hardly noticeable due to all the stack of boxes with supplies we needed for the guild. The basement was where Master Makarov and Levy established a library. Since we lost the other guild we had, it was the only room available to store books. However, it smelled moldy and earthy. The only lights came from electrical appliances or magic spells. Most of the time Levy or the others members would come down here for books and then return to the guild to read it. I had been using the library as a quiet place. I worked on filling and filing documents although Master Makarov gave me permission to use Mirajane's office to complete the endless sheets. Sometimes I sat down on the stack of wooden crates we used as chairs to think or to do extra research for my own interests.

I came down here for a reason. My purpose was to gather the information I received from Master Makarov and Lisanna and try to come up with a reasonable solution as to what the three convicts were after. I reached for the bunch of keys in my pouch and was about to call upon Virgo, when I realized I didn't have enough magical energy. I was still weak from summoning my new spirit. I stood in the center of the library and sighed.

"Come on, think," I talked to myself out loud. Glancing around the library, I saw Mirajane's notepad and pen I borrowed from her office. I never returned the supplies and I wondered if she was going to be mad at me. "Oh well, it's a good start."

I sat down on one of the wooden crates, carefully, as I heard the wood groan from under my weight. I placed the notepad in front of me and took the pen. Without thinking, I began to scribble important short hand notes.

_Three escaped convicts. Angel, Midnight and Cobra._

_No detection of magic and no physical trace of forced entry or exit._

_Magic Council made an official announcement to have Fairy Tail most capable members find the prisoners._

_Natsu, Happy and Lisanna were on a mission to discover what happened to the missing people before leaving it incomplete._

_Other guilds have been attacked while members were searching for the prisoners._

Momentarily, I stopped writing words and I put the pen against my forehead while thinking of other bizarre events. I sat up in my chair as another thought occurred to me.

_Not sure. I felt a magical shift and I'm positive that Natsu felt it the night he and Lisanna left to return to Fairy Tail._

"That's quite a list you have there," a girly voice said and I squeaked in surprise. I almost jumped out my seat but the sudden shift caused the wood beneath me to crack and break. The crate split in half and I found myself sprawled unladylike on the floor. The voice laughed at my predicament and I sharply stood while I was searching for the person in the library. Moving towards the bookshelves, I peeked between them to see nothing.

'You won't find me so easily.' The voice sounded so much like my spirit and it sounded like it was coming from my mind.

"Where are you?" I asked.

'I'm in your mind,' Gaia answered me using telepathy.

I sagged against the bookshelf, completely baffled at one of her surprises.

I heard her light laughter before she replied to me in my mind. 'Remember my ability to read people's minds? I can do the same with you and not be in physical form for you or anyone else to see me. And the greatest part is I'm using my own magic.'

"Does that mean no one else can detect your magical aura while you're mentally communicating with me?" I questioned.

'Yes, silly.' Her giggles made me shake my head.

"I still have to get use to having your voice in my head. Your giggles is giving me a headache." I raised my hands to rubbed my temples.

'Sorry.' She didn't sound sorry. Instead her tone made her seem like she was torturing me on purpose. 'I did warn you that I have some surprises for you.'

"Yes, you did," I agreed and exhaled a long breath. I returned to my workstation and swept all the broken pieces of wood aside. I dragged a new wooden crate and sat down on it. Once more, I reviewed all the possible notes.

'The last note about the magical shift is very interesting,' Gaia responded in my mind. 'Why did you think it's important?'

"I'm trying to piece out all the information given to me to find the motivation for whomsoever was involved."

'And what do you assume?'

"Come on, you're in my head. You know my thoughts."

'Say them out loud. I have clues but your thoughts are all jumbled.'

"Fine," I muttered. Picking up the pen to make thoughts crystal clear for my spirit to see, assuming that she could hear, see and feel the same things as me, I scribbled my thoughts and said them out loud. "Three convicts and no magical detection or physical trace can mean it was an inside job. Maybe someone from the council devised a plot to free them. For Natsu and the others to be called back to the guild means that Angel, Midnight and Cobra are strong and need powerful mages to obtain them. But there's something not right about Natsu's mission. I will look into it later. The attacks on the guilds can be a deploy to distract the mages from Angel's, Cobra's and Midnight's bigger plan or they are crippling the guilds. Or maybe they're searching for something. "

'Searching for something?' Gaia questioned.

"Yes. The first time we met them, they were searching for Wendy so she could revive Jellal from his sleeping state. He was to locate an ancient city of some sort."

'I see. So they must be indirectly looking for something.'

I nodded my head. "If Fairy Tail gets attacked, then we must capture one of the attackers. He or she may know information that can clue us in for what Angel, Cobra and Midnight plan.

'What about the last one? A magical shift sounds interesting.' Gaia was asking about my last note.

"I was asking Lisanna questions about what she overheard her sister and master were talking and I felt a powerful pulse. It was quick but immense enough for people who can detect magical auras to feel it. I felt another like it when Yukino and I closed the Eclipse Gate." I said out loud while writing that particular note down when Gaia's next statement made me pause.

'If you closed a gate and you felt something similar to it last night, then you felt someone was messing with a gate.'

"And only summoners can open and close gates," I concluded.

'Which means what we're dealing with has to do with summoner's magic.'

I gasped as my pen fell out my hand and onto the notepad.


	6. Chapter 5

**Well, this chapter is a continuation of the last chapter. Everything is still in Lucy's perspective. You will see what I mean when you read this chapter.**

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**Chapter 5**

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"Okay, I'm confuse about the difference between a summoner and a celestial mage," I said with a frown on my face.

'You're not the only one to have such complaints,' Gaia retorted using telepathy. 'I will break my explanation to make it simple. A celestial mage can only use gold and silver keys to summon spirits from the celestial world. They are only allowed to open and close gates going into the celestial world. On the other hand, summoners have soul keys that can open and close gates to other worlds. And for them to be able to do so, they have to come from a long line of descendants who can summon spirits.'

"What's the difference between gold and silver keys compare to the soul keys?"

'The contract between celestial spirits and celestial mages with gold and silver keys form a magical bond. The soul keys goes beyond that. The contract lies within the bloodline.'

"That's kind of creepy."

'It may be for you but it's what allowed you and Yukino to close the Eclipse Gate. Both of you are summoners. And if there is another magical shift that opened a gate somewhere in Magnolia, then you and her are not the only summoners.'

I paused, trying to process everything we talked about and finally I gave up. "I am so confused!" I yelled, feeling completely frustrated. I banged my head against the table.

'Maybe you're over thinking everything,' Gaia responded in my mind.

"Of course I'll be thinking about everything that's happened so far! There's so many things and it's happening all at once! Nothing makes sense anymore!"

'Did it ever occur to you that you're over reacting? You humans are so impatient.'

"Gaia, your comments are not helping my situation." I lifted my head and looked at the notes I took. "The only fact I am sure of is the Magic Council is after me. I have to be careful with what I do and who I trust."

Gaia didn't reply so I took her silence as agreement to my comment.

"Still nothing makes sense. Maybe I should sit back and wait for something to happen. Only then will the events fall into place."

"I agree with you, child," a masculine voice said completely shocking me. I jumped from my seat as a small shadow peered into the light from one of the lamps hanging from the ceiling. My eyes widened when I saw Master Makarov's silhouette. How long was he standing in the shadows of the library?

"M-mast...er," I barely said.

"Yes," he answered as he slowly approached the table. I stepped back, the shock left my body as I felt my heartbeat increased. I refused to look into his eyes as I stared at a brick wall. I heard one the crates creaked under pressure, signifying that he took a seat. Silence overtook the room. The only sound was the drumming of my heart. Protectively, I covered my heart with a hand, trying to control the rhythm of it. A part of me hoped he didn't overhear the conversation I had with Gaia. If he did, then he would be aware of another presence other than me .

After what felt like an eternity, he was the one to break the silence. "You remind me of Levy."

"Huh?" I was completely taken aback. Out of everything, I wasn't expecting him to mention Levy.

"When you first appeared at Fairy Tail, I knew you more of a thinker, a strategist per say, then a physical fighter. You and Levy both tend to research information and try to put everything together. You were never the one to resort to violence as a means to solve every problem."

"You mean like Natsu?" I questioned, remembering the first time I came to Fairy Tail. Natsu was the one who brought me to it and introduced me to everyone in his own special way.

I glanced at the old man and saw a ghost of a smile spread across his lips. "Yes, which is why I'm not surprised to see this list." He pointed to the list I made on Mirajane's notepad. "You're trying so hard to find the answer to everything when sometimes the best method is patience."

He did agree with Gaia. I nodded my head in understanding. Then with a pointer finger, he dragged the tip of it down the list of suggestions I wrote. My face flushed with embarrassment as I felt self conscious.

"Lucy," he said my name, which wasn't astonishing because when I began to help him with Fairy Tail's paperwork, he showed his respect by calling my name instead of referring me to a child. I raised my head and saw something akin to concern marring his wrinkled face.

"Are you okay?"

Again, he shocked me with a simple question. But I wondered if he could feel Gaia's presence in my mind.

I closed my eyes and inhaled a breath. Feeling my stomach squeeze, I let my magic soar around me until it cast a golden glow. Using my magic, I searched within my mind for Gaia's presence and felt she wasn't there anymore. Opening my eyes, I felt my stomach expand and the magic wavered from around me. Master's dark eyes widened and I thought I glimpsed wariness before he blinked his eyes.

"I'm okay," I said, finally answering his question.

Master looked away from me and an uneasiness filtered in the room. "You know you can talk to me when you feel unsure about anything."

"Uh... yes," I said, feeling uncertain how to approach him with my answer.

Then he looked at me with a seriousness that made my eyes widen. There was conviction and concern in his eyes. "In Fairy Tail, we are family and we help one another as best as we can. If you're in danger, Lucy, everyone at Fairy Tail will do their best to help and support you. We will make enemies with whosoever is after you, even if it means going against the Magic Council."

My mouth opened and I tried to utter words, maybe a "thank you" but my vocal cords refused to work. I blinked several times, feeling moisture gather at the corner of my eyes and I was grateful to know I wasn't alone.

And then we heard a shrilling a scream pierced the silence. A thump echoed from the floor above us. Another terrifying scream alerted us that there was a commotion taking place upstairs. Footsteps were racing from one end to another end and Master immediately got up from his seat. His eyes narrowed as he looked up at the ceiling. The lights from the lamps began to flicker as both our bodies tensed.

"Lucy," he said with a harsh tone. "Stay here." Within a second, he disappeared.

The shuffles of movement, the shouts and screams penetrated through the floorboards. The lights were working intermittently. I found myself staring at the ceiling with uncertainty. My conscious was beating at me to help them instead of rely on Master Makarov. For him to warn me to stay in the basement meant he knew I couldn't summon my regular spirits and my body was in fragile state to fight alongside them. I was weak but the signs of struggle forced the floorboards to moan. And the flare of magical energy in the air alerted me that there were some powerful mages at work.

Going against Master's order, I moved as quickly as possible to the stairs. I crept up the stairs, keeping my back to the wall. My footsteps remained silent as I walked on the balls on my feet, grateful to my father for forcing me to take dance lessons. The added stealth was a benefit for me to keep the enemies from detecting my presence. The fights were getting extreme as I heard crashes, sadistic laughter, punches and kicks loud enough to break bones, and the magic was intensive enough to mean something dangerous was going to happen.

My hand went on my key pouch at my waist and opened the flap. Feeling through the different keys, I picked Virgo's key and brought it out in front of me. I knew I didn't have enough power, but if I could summon her, maybe she could use her own magic to help some of the Fairy Tail members. Clutching Virgo's key I raised it and chanted the words to summon her, only my magic was not connecting to the key. The gate wasn't opening. Hunching my shoulders in defeat, I returned her key in my pouch and watched through the doorway.

Another idea popped into my mind. Since the enemies couldn't detect my weak magical energy and they were distracted with the different fights, I had the advantage of surprise in my favor.

But all logical thought flew right through me as I saw Levy's petite form being pushed back by Jet. He shielded her from a punch that sent his body crashing into her form and sending them to collapse at Mirajane's bar table. A sudden rage built inside me and I roared as I ran from the storage room to the enemy. His eyes bulged out when he saw me, but they narrowed and a smirk formed on his thin lips. He pulled back his hand and tightened it into a fist that collided into my abdomen the moment I got to him. My fist weakly hit him but the impact of his punch caused me to hurl and cough on the floor. He kicked me where he punched me and I gasped in pain. He bent down and pulled my hair until he was grasping me by it.

"Well, I wonder what I got here. I don't remember seeing you," he replied in a sickly taunting voice that made me want to struggle while dangling in the air. I could feel the roots of my hair tearing from my scalp as he roughly slapped my face hard enough to draw blood. Then he tossed me aside like a rag dog.

"Lucy!" Someone called my name but I was too weak to lift my head. My whole body throbbed as the person accosted me. A whimper escaped my throat when a rough hand pulled me up by my hair. A stinky breath was against my face when I felt something wet drag from my ear to my forehead.

"You taste really good. Maybe I'll keep you for myself. You're kind of cute when you're in pain." He laughed malevolently while my body shuddered in revulsion. "What kind of magic do you do anyway?"

When I didn't answer him right away, he heavily kicked me to the side, letting go my hair until I crashed into a rubble of broken chairs. A stake went through my left shoulder and I finally screamed from the pain.

"Baby, I love it when you scream!" A sharp hit against my chest caused me to scream louder. My eyes became watery and simply breathing began to hurt.

The man stooped down. His chilling voice broke through the haziness of intense pain spiraling through my body. I screamed for my life when he tore my body from the stake with rough hands. Blood pooled around my broken frame as he dropped me to the floor. I shut my eyes to welcome the darkness while I was forced to hear everything

There were no more screams beside my own. The place was filled with malice laughter as the attackers shredded everything to pieces. "Let's light the place on fire!" one the men shouted.

"And burn the Fairy scum to hell!" another voice pitched in. Their laughter sounded eerie. The smell of smoke began to fill the air. I cracked my watery eyes open to see my attacker's back facing me.

"Which one of the Fairy bitches are we suppose to take?" Lucy heard the question.

"We're suppose to look for a blond chick," answered another one.

"No way in hell can it by my broken doll!" the familiar voice acidly responded. "I like hearing her screams!"

"Shit, the boss is going to kill us for roughing her that bad!" Rough hands picked up my limp frame as if I was no better than a rag doll and tossed me over a bony shoulder. I flinched and moaned from the extreme discomfort.

"Damn it! She better not die! Did you have to stab her!"

"I can't help myself! I love the sight of blood!"

"You're one sick bastard!" The man retorted. There was a tearing sound and something wrapped firmly against my left shoulder making me cry out in pain. I squirmed against the bony shoulder keeping me in place. The man swore and held me in place while the other guy applied something firm on my shoulder.

The flames began spreading everywhere as smoke filtered the air. I was sobbing quietly, begging for someone to save me and my friends. I tried to check my magic but my body felt like lead. I was weak and helpless and utterly useless to save my friends and they were going to die because of me. This was all my fault.

Giving up, I heard the crackles from the fire as the atmosphere turned dark. The smoke was getting into my lungs, forcing my body to spasm. All of a sudden the flames instantly died and the smoke retreated. The man stopped dead in his tracks, re-positioning my weight on his shoulder.

"Who the hell are you?" he grimly asked.

"Where the hell did the other guys go?" the other man asked from next to him.

There was silence and the man dropped me on the floor to land on a pile of rubble. Agony escaped my throat as I curled in fetal position, trying not to put pressure of my left shoulder.

"Shit! We're really going to fight him!"

"We have no choice. And besides I want to take out my rage for not getting to fuck blondie as a prize."

There was a low growl, chilling enough to silence the men. Straining my eyes to see between the two attackers, I saw a tall figure dressed in a black cloak. Arms spread out, one in front of him and the other behind. A finger crooked at them to attack him.

"You stay here with the bitch and make sure she don't bleed to death," the man who attacked me commanded his partner. Turning to face the mysterious person, he clenched his fists, preparing himself for a fight. "Let's see what a fucker like you can do." He crouched before he rushed at the dark cloaked stranger. The cloaked figure simply waved his hand and threads of fire appeared before his form.

"Wait, Lark! Don't!" But the man named Lark never stood a chance. He couldn't stop his attack when he conjured dark magic into his fist to strike the stranger. Instead, his body crashed into the threads of fire, completely disintegrating him.

The other guy began trembling in fear. "Who the hell are you?"

I wanted to know the same answer. Was he Fairy Tail's savior? Or was he another enemy?

The dark cloaked figure raised his hand and crooked a finger at him to attack. His hand clenched into a fist, sparking fire and automatically, I whispered the first name that came to my mind. "Natsu."


	7. Chapter 6

**Here's a new chapter after some time of not updating. I hope you enjoy. Also, I think some things become clearer.**

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**Chapter 6**

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"Lucy!" a familiar, yet an unknown voice called to me. "Come on, Luce! I know you can hear me."

I swallowed heavily, feeling the dryness in my throat. Red needles raced to my left shoulder and sweat broke out on my skin. I shuddered as my fingers twitched at my sides.

"That's it, Lucy," the voice continued, only it was cajoling me. "Open your eyes."

I licked my lips and moved my shoulders. The pain became a tidal wave, crashing into me to a point my mouth open into a silent scream. I felt myself falling onto something hard.

"Luce!" The masculine tone sounded more urgent. "Fuck, I can't lose you again!"

But his tone was fading. A warm flush of blood rose to my face as my breathing became heavier. The darkness behind closed lids was an invitation to leave behind everything, especially the pain.

"Luce, if you die, this world can't take it." The dismayed tone sounded lost and for some reason, I found myself fighting the darkness to respond to it.

Then sounds crept into the mix. Screaming, heels dashing. The echoes of evil laughter. A slap of flesh and tearing of skin.

Finally, smells of campfire and sandalwood, and burned flesh. The first two were a strange combination I smelled before.

"Lucy!"

The same voice was distant. Demanding. It echoed through the agony in my mind but the pain swirled and I couldn't tell the location of the voice. I couldn't reach it.

"Lucy!"

It was sharper this time, more persistent. The clouds of agony began to dissipate. Suddenly, a salmon haired dragon slayer was standing between the pain and me. He held out his hand to me while his dark eyes promised warmth. Hesitantly, I reached for his hand, wondering why I was seeing him now. He closed the distance and his warm fingers curled over my wrist. It felt solid and rough, but it was comforting to know he was here with me.

"Luce," he said. He pulled me to him.

Awareness returned, and I gasped.

"Thank Mavis," he whispered, soft and soothing. "I thought I lost you again." His arms carefully wrapped around me. I winced and hissed in pain. "You're going to be all right." He gently settled me into a bed.

The cool air hit my fevered skin and I sucked in air into my thirsted lungs. I opened my eyes. Dark eyes from the fire dragon slayer met mine.

"Natsu," I said.

"Yes," he agreed.

He touched my cheek tenderly. "Do you remember what happened?"

"Just the smell. A man. People dying."

He raised an eyebrow. "Nothing else."

I shook my head and he sighed. "Enough is enough. You're going to get some rest before I can have Wendy check on you."

Sleep sounded like a good idea. If I rested, I could forget what happened for a few more hours. "Fairy Tail?"

He grimaced. "Now, is not the safe time to head there. Whoever attacked there will be back to look for more answers."

"Then where are we?"

"In a place I deem is safe. No one will find us for awhile."

I took in a deep breath before attempting to get up. Again, a sudden pain hit against my shoulder and I fell back on the bed. Quickly, Natsu was at my side. "Getting up is not a good idea either."

"And you now tell me that?" A smile tugged on my lips.

"If I told you to stay in bed, would you have listened to me?"

"Yes," I answered immediately.

He grinned while he shook his head. "We both know you're lying."

I rested my head against a pillow as I stared at the white ceiling of whatever room we were in. Then something Natsu said occurred to me. I frowned as I looked at him. "What did you mean you don't want to lose me again?"

He shrugged. "I mean I don't want a repeat of the Eclipse Gate."

I would have flinched from the ambiguity of the past event and now, but I knew the fire dragon slayer well enough to sense when he was hiding secrets from me. And he was definitely hiding something from me.

"You said if I died, the world can't take it. What do you mean by that?"

He studied me for a second, dark eyes glinting dangerously in the semi-darkness of the room. "What did you want me to do? Stand aside and watch you suffer?"

"What is it you're not telling me, Natsu? And don't try to change the subject."

"Lucy, you're being far too reckless."

"Look whose talking."

"I know I am but I also know my limits."

"You got to be kidding me?" I scoffed. "You never back down from a fight, even though you know you're going to lose."

He advanced on me until his face hovered over mine. "That's because I have a lot riding on those fights."

Anger curled through me. "And you think I don't?"

"I'm not saying that you don't. But when it comes to physical fighting, Lucy, I hold an advantage and the responsibility to protect you."

"I never asked to be protected."

"Then why do you hide behind me?" he asked as he stepped back. He crossed his arms over his chest.

"Don't be ridiculous! I don't hide behind you. You just jump into fights without thinking about the consequences."

"A fight is a fight, Lucy."

"Maybe in your world that's how you view it. In the real world, one must assess their opponent before taking them on in a battle."

"Do it your way next time."

"Then give me a chance to fight my own battles."

"Fine." His voice was flat. Cold. "Next time, I'll let you find your own way out."

"Good."

Silence fell between us. It was a type that made the air not breathable and it gave me the perfect excuse not to give into my feelings of making up back with him. It was better to keep him at arm's length.

Also, I had the chance to take a better look at him. He was different in both attitude and appearance. Usually, Natsu and I bickered over small issues, but we made back up. However, he seemed intense, and serious. The way he dressed and moved in a long, worn black cloak reminded me of a dangerous animal. He might have had his back turned to me while he was shifting contents on a table, which I assumed to be food from the delicious aroma filling the room, but I could see slight shift of his shoulders. I noticed his quick reflex as an orange rolled off the table. Yet, strangely, he did not bite it as he caught it with a strong hand. He didn't attack the other food as he normally would have when Happy was with him.

I frowned. I looked at his hair and noticed the pink strands were longer and shaggier as if he didn't get a haircut in months. His body was larger, his shoulders were broader than I last recalled. There was a certain kind of grace that Natsu moved with; something he lacked when I first met him. How could he have changed in such a short amount of time?

"Natsu," I called him.

He craned his neck. Sharp eyes pinned me to my spot. My breath caught in my throat. My heart fluttered. Nervously, I looked elsewhere while I bit my bottom lip. Although, I gazed at a furry blanket covering my form, I didn't miss how his eyes narrowed. A hint of something flashed in his eyes. He took a step toward me and then seemed to recover. He turned away.

"What?" he answered. Both he and I winced from the roughness of his tone.

I swallowed before asking him, "Did something change during time frame when you did your mission and Fairy Tail was attacked?"

There was a pregnant pause. He shifted on his feet. His arms rose in the air a bit before hanging limply at his sides but I saw the way his muscles played enticingly from whatever long dark sleeve shirt he wore under his cloak. When it came to Natsu, I missed nothing about him.

"Why do you ask?"

"You seem different and," I added, "I don't see Happy or Lisanna with you."

"If you're asking how they're doing, they're fine."

"Why are you-?"

"Shouldn't you be sleeping?" he interrupted me.

"Aren't you going to feed me before I sleep?" I asked, feeling irritated.

He faced me yet again, except there was smirk on the corner of his lips. "You want me to feed you?"

I opened my mouth with a comeback when the reality of what I asked him slapped me in the face. My cheeks heated and I avoided looking at him.

He chuckled, swiveling on his feet. He gathered different types of food on an empty plate and brought it to me. I refused to glance at him and he chuckled even more at my uneasiness. "I don't mind literally feeding you, Lucy."

I grabbed some of the blanket and clutched it tightly within my grasp. I inhaled a shuddering breath before saying, "You know what I mean."

His smirk turned into a playful grin. "That's where you're wrong Lucy."

I almost wanted to growl at him. Instead, I reached for my plate of food when I winced. In an instant, the playfulness was gone on Natsu's face. He rose and moved by the table to get a fork. He returned to the side of my bed and sat down at the edge of it. The bed creaked. Where he sat made a dip, which caused me to slide closer to him. I wiggled back as much as I could but he only he slid closer to me.

"Wh-at are y-ou doing?" I squeaked.

"Feeding you," he answered me like we were talking about the weather.

"I can feed myself." Why was I suddenly nervous around him? Before, he made my heart flutter endlessly and made me want to be with him. But now, he made my heart pound and the apprehension flowing through me begged me to bolt out of the room.

"Your left shoulder is injured. You won't be able to move for a week. With Wendy's healing, you won't be able to move in a couple of days."

"So what am I to-."

Again, he interrupted me. "You're going to accept my help."

"I'm not some baby."

"Luce," he sighed as he put the plate down by a night table near him. The moment he tuned away, I took a normal breath and let it go. Then, his whole body was hovering over me and my mind went blank. All I could see was his unnaturally dark eyes. Heat radiated off his body. I squirmed under him.

"Since, when did you get so stubborn?" he whispered. His hot breath fanned against my face. If I raised my head a little higher our lips would meet.

"What?" I was too distracted by the way his lips moved. I wondered how it would be like to kiss him. I had the chance once and embarrassingly, I made Happy kiss him instead. Now, I regretted not taking the chance to know how his lips moved against mine.

"Luce." His gaze drifted down, a slow caress that was all to consuming. Heat prickled along my skin. There was a sudden ache in my chest as warmth pooled in between my legs. Then, his eyes gleamed and something inside me snapped.

This was not how Natsu responded to me. He left lingering touches, he voiced his concerns for me and fought all sorts of evil to rescue me. But Natsu never looked at me with desire flaming in his onyx eyes nor was he bold enough to make the first move. I put my hands on his muscular chest and pushed with all my might. He let me move him. Automatically, I crossed my right arm over my breasts. I tried to ignore the desire. Everything was happening too fast. Weeks ago I was injured. Levy began ignoring me. Natsu, Gray and Erza stayed with me at my apartment. A couple of days ago, I discovered why Natsu didn't come to the apartment. He was off on some mission with Lisanna and Happy. Then, he mysteriously appeared at my home, claiming that he and Lisanna had to go to Fairy Tail. Yesterday or today, he was suppose to be on a special mission and he miraculously returned to save my life.

And there was the last image of him holding Lisanna bridal style as he carried her away into the night outside my apartment window. Their laughter rose with the wind. I closed my eyes to control the tears that wanted to spill. He had Lisanna now that I was completely useless to him. Plus, with the way they interacted with each other, I saw the softness in his eyes when he spoke to her. There was also the time I was in the hospital, he dashed after her. I was his partner, but Lisanna was more than a childhood friend. Mirajane once confessed that he and Lisanna talked about marrying each other when they grew up.

I opened my eyes, inhaled and exhaled a long breath. I focused not on us, but the others from Fairy Tail. "What happened to the others from Fairy Tail?" My voice was tart, but it didn't seem to have any effect.

Instead, he shifted back. His expression was cool, almost remote. But his gaze drifted to the arm covering my breast, causing me to involuntary shiver. When his eyes drifted upwards, the smolder died in them. He shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know."

"You have got to be kidding me?" Again, there was something not right with Natsu. He was always worried about his friends he called family. He might have saved me; however, he would have attempted to save the others as well.

"No," he said. "They can look out for themselves."

"Are you listening to yourself?"

He didn't say anything.

"What happened to you? The Natsu I know will do everything in his power to save his friends."

"I found something more important."

I blinked at him, not expecting his answer.

"What can be more important than Fairy Tail?" Recalling our first mission, a monster had taken me from Natsu's side and he didn't care. Only later, when he attacked the monster I thought he did it to save me. Instead, he confessed he took the mission for his friend from Fairy Tail and he attacked the monster because he thought it was the same monster that killed him. I was nothing but dust in the wind. There was another time when a potion made me invisible after we woke up from our seven-year sleep, Natsu complained about me to the other Fairy Tail members. Most agreed with him about my vile behavior toward him except for Carla and Erza. Everyone forgot about me. He only remembered me after he ate food. Food was before me.

But if Lisanna was attacked by a monster he would have chose to save her before me. If a potion turned her invisible, he would have moved heaven and hell to bring her back. He only chose to save me from those nasty guys because I was there. Lisanna was somewhere safe. In fact, she could have been outside this room, waiting to barge in on us.

"You really can't tell?" His words broke through my reverie.

"Do I look like some mind reader?"

His infuriating smirk appeared on his roguish face.

"And I thought you knew me the best."

"No, I don't. There are other people who know you better."

He raised an eyebrow. "Really, like who?"

I was about to say Lisanna's name but my mood turned sour. "You know who?"

He crossed his arms over his broad chest and I couldn't help but follow his elegant movements. "No."

"Yes."

"No."

"You know what, I'm not going to play this game with you. I'm not like Gray."

"You're definitely not like him." Natsu's eyes roamed my body. My cheeks reddened.

"Stop it!"

"Stop what?"

"Stop looking at me like that!" I said feeling flustered all of a sudden.

Another chuckle vibrated through him. It made my body want to tremble. And for a second, I feared I might give into my hormonal urges to ask him to hug me so I press my cheek against his chest and breathed in the masculinity of him. I shook my head. Something was definitely not right. My hormones never went crazy over Natsu.

"You're different," I said to him, breaking the lightness in the atmosphere.

He put his elbows on his knees and leaned his strong chin on his knuckles. "How so?"

"Your appearance is a starter. Then, there's your attitude."

"Have you ever thought that me acting stupid was all a show?"

"It has occurred to me on many occasions." His eyes seemed to gleam.

"That's my Luce," he whispered so quietly, I almost didn't hear it.

"What?" I shrieked.

"The battles I fought, the fights I pick in Fairy Tail were all a show to hide my true nature."

I gulped nervously. His gaze was so intense that the air stilled in my lungs.

"I knew better but if I acted clueless I could catch my enemies unguarded."

"Including your friends?"

He moved his face closer to mine. "There are a lot of things you don't know about dragon slayers, Lucy. If you only knew half of what I know, you will run for that door, injured or not."

I gulped in fear and scooted back against the bed until my back hit the headrest. A shiver ran down my spine. I didn't want to contemplate what other secrets this dragon slayer hid. I certainly didn't want to contemplate the fact that this fire breathing dragon slayer could be as powerful as an S-Class mage. I could practically feel his magic rolling off his skin.

And a knot in my heart returned. My breath hitched as I felt my heart fluttered. I had that bad feeling again, like the same one that hit me when Cana revealed the Grim Reaper card. A closed fist moved over my heart.

His sharp eyes followed my simple movement. He was on me in second. He grabbed my wrist and put a strong, heavy hand over my left breast. In any normal situation I would have retaliated. In this situation, I was too stunned to react.

"You feel it here? How long have you been doing this?"

I began fumbling with words to answer him. "Fuck! Lucy, this is really important!"

"I don't know," the words came tumbling out of me.

His gaze hardened. "It's happening all over again."

"What is?"

He studied me for a moment, then looked away, his face was expressionless but the air was vibrating with barely contained power. I had to struggle to breathe properly. When did Natsu become so powerful? The air seemed to radiate around him, electrifying and then igniting fire.

"Luce," he said. My nickname was something he said during our private moments or when he wanted my full attention. "There is some powerful magic at play."

What he told me was something I figured out already. Then, he touched my face with his other hand and all thoughts flew out the window. "What I'm about to tell you is going to sound weird."

I studied him, taking in his smooth lips, his stubborn jaw, and the way his eyes darkened to black. "Your ability to open gates to more than the celestial world is causing a rift between worlds."

My eyed widened at his warning. My tongue darted out of my mouth to moisten my lips. "How-."

His gaze moved to my lips and his eyes smoldered. His thumb stroked the underside of my jaw and something akin to electricity surged between us. His gaze jumped to mine, leaving me drowning in those luscious dark depths. His fingers were so strong and warm. I could feel his magic teasing my cheek, the warmth of his fire magic soothed my alarmed state.

His gaze burned mine for several more wild heartbeats, then rolled languidly down my body, melting every inch of me. I felt like I was turning into pudding into his arms meanwhile he was trying to tell me something important.

I clenched my fists, digging my nails into my palms, using the pain to battle desire. "How do you know about me opening other worlds?" I tried again.

He smiled slowly. "There are many things I know about you. When you think I wasn't observant, I was always watching out for you."

His words rang true. He was always in my apartment or around me at our magical guild. Even after I was banned from going on certain missions with him and the others, he looked for excuses to stay with me. That was until Lisanna began questioning his motives and he took missions with her.

"Well, I can watch out for myself."

"Not with this nemesis coming into Magnolia or already is here as we speak."

I turned my face away from his hand and my skin missed the warmth from his touch. "What is it you're not telling me?"

"Believe me, I want to tell you the truth, but you're incapable of handling it."

"How do you know about my capabilities of opening other worlds and don't beat around the bush," I admonished him while refusing to look at him. I knew if I did, it would be my undoing.

"How can I tell you without you freaking out?"

"There are lots of ways."

"I can start with telling you I know you're capable of opening different worlds. I learned about it when the future you met us during the Eclipse Gate. I wondered how there can be two of you and I realized you have the power to open different worlds."

"Yes, but I needed all the golden keys to do that and I wasn't alone. Yukino was with me." I remembered during the time I tried to close the Eclipse Gate to stop the dragons from coming into the earth world, Yukino and I had to summon all the golden keys together. She held two of them while I held ten of them. It was the first time I called on ten powerful spirits and it drained most of my magical power.

"That was the awakening to a darker power and to your ability." My eyes widened. Did he know about soul keys? Was he aware of summoners? Did Levy finally tell my secret?

In defeat, I turned my full attention on him. His hand returned to my cheek. Warmth flared where his fingers rested, rolling through the rest me like waves. Though it was comforting, it did little to erase the knot of fear forming in the pit of my stomach.

Silence filled the air. I waited for him to continue his explanation. "The opening of the Eclipse Gate unlocked another world. Till this day that world still remains in link with ours. That world is what the Magic Council scholars called The Other Side. What happens here affects The Other Side and vice versa. The only way to stop the collision of both worlds is to close it once again."

My mouth opened but I couldn't form words. I took a deep breath and shifted away from Natsu's comforting hand. "Did Levy tell you?"

"No."

"Then how do you know about summoners and their abilities? Who told you?"

A small smile formed on his face. "A spirit friend told me and because I'm not from here."

"What?" I was stunned. "Of course, you're from here." Then I did a double take on his appearance. And the earlier feeling that something was out of place hit me.

"What?" I had the habit of asking this dumb question.

Natsu stood up from the bed. His hands clasped casually behind his back as his body relaxed. However, I could still taste the tension in the air. It stung, as sharp as the sudden spike in my pulse rate. "Luce," he said. His voice sounded rough. "The Other Side is my world."

* * *

**So this is it for now. I'm beginning to write the next chapter but I don't know when I will have it up. This chapter is beginning to unravel some questions you might have. Also, I will be going back to re-edit some of the chapters. I will be posting the more mature scenes on Wattpad, since this site have strict rules. However, I will keep this story rated M because it's dark. Wattpad will have a backup copy of this story. Thanks for reading.**


	8. Chapter 7

**Here's another new chapter. I added another perspective to it so you can get a better idea what's going on. You will see what I mean when you read it. The plot thickens but I think everything is coming along just nicely. If you have any questions, feel free to PM me anytime. And thank you to those of you have added this story to your favorite or follow list. It means a lot to me that you're giving this story a chance, especially since it's my first fanfic and it's a dark one.**

**Also, I noticed I'm not getting much reviews but I will like to thank Moon Stone Tiger Lily and silver light of dawn for leaving me encouraging ones. It lets me know where this story stands in the rank of things. :)**

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**Chapter 7**

* * *

"The Other Side," I repeated.

"Y-es, L-uce," he barely said. He swallowed, looking completely different from the confident Natsu I saw before. Apparently, he needed me to believe him. Whenever he got quiet, or his body ceased to move, or his tone lowered an octave, I knew he was seeking my approval. This was where the other side Natsu and this Natsu were alike.

"It seems a lot to take in," I whispered. "To consider that you're from there." Yet, it made sense. He appeared different. His magic was immensely powerful to a point I could feel it pulsing along my skin. I shuddered. There was also the fact that he didn't act like the Natsu I knew.

"I am and I'm here to change what will happen in this world."

I licked my lips and realized my mistake a bit too late. His eyes narrowed on my mouth. Nervously, I swallowed before looking away from him. "You make it sound like you're from the future."

"I am, Luce."

My eyes rounded at him. "But… how can that be? Why?"

He extended his arms at his sides and made a move to come to me. I flinched and he paused. Slowly, he put his hands to his sides. He turned his face away from me but I saw the sadness in his black eyes.

"Bad things are about to happen and if we're not careful in this world like how I was careless in the other world, there will be a lot of deaths."

I stared at him for a moment, my heart racing. "What do you mean you?"

He swiped a hand through his messy hair and breathed in a long breath. I tried not to notice how big his hand was or how smooth he moved with a simple gesture but I utterly failed. "In my time, darkness spread throughout Magnolia and the Fairy Tail members or even I am not strong enough to stop it. I came back to change everything."

I understood his feeling better than anyone else. When future Lucy tried to change the events of the Eclipse Gate, she died to protect me. It was the contents in her journal that helped me learn how to close the gate to prevent more dragons from entering Crocus. If it weren't for her heroic actions, the events from her world would have replayed and everything I know would have been turned to ashes.

"I understand."

He glanced at me and blinked his eyes. I would have laughed if we weren't discussing something very serious. "I'm shocked."

"Why?"

"You're taking this better than expected."

I sighed. "You forget that we met a future me and you took it better than everyone else?"

He nodded and turned away but I saw the smile tugging on the corner of his lips. "And I didn't mind there being two of you?"

"Wait, what?" I openly gaped at him.

"Pretend you never heard that."

"No, you better explain what you mean by that."

He looked at me with a playful expression on his face.

"Okay," I hesitated, looking around the room. "Maybe, it's better not to answer that."

"Don't tell me you're not entertaining the fact that there are two of me?"

"I'm not!" I exclaimed as my cheeks heated from his insinuation.

One eyebrow raised mockingly. "Really? I don't believe you."

"Natsu!"

He chuckled at my embarrassment and lightly shook his head. Then he raised a hand to me. "How about we get you to eat your food before you rest?"

I stared at him with wide eyes. "You're going to let me eat my own food?"

"Oh yeah," he said as he realized he was going to feed me.

I violently shook my head at him as I raised my hands in the air to put distance between us. "I can feed myself!"

Again, he chuckled. His shoulders shook with mirth. I couldn't help but smile at him. It was only when he stopped laughing and he looked at me with mischievousness glinting in his eyes, did I realize I was in big trouble. My body tensed as he approached me. The atmosphere once again thrummed with uneasiness as he suddenly jumped right next to me on the bed.

* * *

Elsewhere, the Magic Council Archive in Era, was being updated with the newest mages that joined the Magical Guilds throughout Fiore. The Grand Magic Games didn't end too long ago when unexpectedly, Fairy Tail won their first game in seven years. Apparently, it was a shock that Natsu, Laxus, Erza, Gray, Wendy, Mirajane, and many others appeared at the arena after being presumed dead. Before the Grand Magic Games, Fairy Tail had suffered immensely for losing its top mages. The guild went sourly from being number one to bottom rank. They were the underdog who embarrassingly competed for prestige and hoped to gain sponsors to support their guild. Usually, they received nothing.

This year, they received high-ranking sponsors, great jobs and prestige. They had returned from the ashes and dominated over the other magical guilds in Fiore. However, this made them the center of attention, which was considered both positive and negative. The positive side of Fairy Tail being noticed meant they could once again receive good jobs, get funding for extending their guild, and get private missions with the Wizard Saints. The negative side was the Magic Council was going to scrutinize the progress of the Fairy Tail mages since they were known to be reckless and for a long time the Magic Council had been looking for a good reason to disband Fairy Tail for good. This might be their opportunity.

But there was one thing that was delaying the process for closing Fairy Tail. That one thing relied on a certain project called "Animus." Animus had been going on for four decades. The goal was to look at the magical auras of a particular group of mages since their magic worked differently from the usual mages. The subjects were known as celestial mages; the project focused on their ability to unlock gates. Except, there were a few mages whose powers went beyond unlocking gates. They could summon beings that weren't from the celestial world. And this was what amazed Lucious.

He stood before a group of different men and women. All were different in sizes and facial features. Yet, Lucious didn't focus his attention on them. His back faced them while he displayed pictures and information on a screen.

"As you all know, project Animus has been going on for the past forty years. Only the last decade, however, we developed enough capabilities of reading different magical auras."

He waved his hand in the air, and some different line charts appeared on the screen.

"If you look at the waves, you will see a difference on both sides. One side has a constant reading while the other appears volatile. The constant reading comes from ordinary celestial mages we have observed calling on their celestial spirits. The other one comes from a certain celestial mage calling on Caelum."

"And?" one voice interrupted Lucious.

"Celestial mages ability to summon spirits shows a transferring of power from themselves to their key. To do this, their magical aura has to be stable to make a successful transfer. This means that celestial mages have to be able to control the output of their magic. Subject 104 doesn't show this ability. The magic that surrounds her seems to fluctuate from high to low, yet with every call, Caelum becomes more powerful."

"Is this even possible?" the same voice questioned.

"I assure you it is. We tested Subject 104 summoning multiple celestial spirits at once, and she was able to summon eight before becoming inadequate."

There was a moment silence. "That's quite an amazing achievement."

Lucious lips tugged upward in a smirk before he shook his head. "Not as amazing as the Fairy Tail girl who summoned ten golden keys to close the Eclipse Gate."

"Where do you get your information from?" a feminine voice pitched in. "Master Makarov reassured me that the Sabertooth girl and her summoned all twelve keys together."

Lucious, again, shook his head. He swiped a hand through his dark locks while his smirk vanished. "Everyone knows that celestial keys only respond to their master."

"I heard the princess of Fiore was able to summon all twelve of them-."

"She was only capable of such a feat because the Eclispe Gate was meant to harness their power as it was a vacuum for magical energy. The moment she transferred her power into the twelve keys, the gate got the power needed to activate it's opening. The princess has no true energy compare to the Fairy Tail girl."

One of the Magic Council members raised her hand and the information on the screen flashed to an image of a blond haired girl with pinky tails and large brown doe eyes. She and the other members skimmed through the information before looking to Lucious. "You are mistaken. According to her Magical Output Chart, she is far from worthy to become an S-Class mage. Although she possesses ten golden keys, which is impressive, she can only summon two of them for a short period of time. That compare to other stellar mages displays weakness. Besides, her display of power in the arena was pitiful compare to the other Fairy Tail members."

Lucious couldn't believe he was talking to idiots. He almost snarled at them for wasting his time. Yet, he still needed to present his research to them if he and his team wanted to continue their research on Animus. "Celestial mages shouldn't be compared to other mages so easily. Whereas ordinary mages are able to create a physical form for their magic, their output isn't as controlled as celestial mages. Their magic is a holder type, which means they possess great mental magical power."

"But that magical power takes time to build up. By the time they conjure enough power to summon a celestial spirit, another mage will have already taken them down."

"I disagree."

"Sabertooth's celestial mage's humiliating lost was an example and she summoned the rarest golden key; the thirteenth one."

Lucious clasped his hands behind him. "Again, you underestimate their magic."

"Care to explain?" an elderly voice joined in the conversation.

Lucious dark eyes moved to the small man standing next to the taller members. Quietly, he recognized him as Fairy Tail's master's friend. He raised his hand to the air and his fingers curled over his palm. He left only his pointer finger standing and the Fairy Tail's girl image was replaced with t-graphs that had both positive and negative numbers. Again, one graph showed a constant positive reading, while the other t-graph showed fluctuations. His lips tugged into a small smile when he saw dawning on the Magic Council members' faces. They were close to being speechless.

"The right side has positive readings from Subject 100, who is classified as a regular mage. The other one is Subject 99's readings, and as you can see, Subject 99's magic is on a different scale."

"Isn't Subject 99 the one who escaped prison a while back?" asked the same man.

"Yes, but that's because we underestimated her ability. This time we have taken better precautions."

"Yet Subject 104 is the convict we're looking for-."

"Are you sure?" Lucious returned. He snapped his fingers and a white haired woman dressed in a white hospital gown entered the room. Her pale eyes appeared lifeless as she slowly made her way to Lucious' side and stopped next him to face the Council members. Her arms were limp at her sides. Her feet were bare. Some of the Council members frowned at the sight of the female. She looked too pale, almost sickly. Lucious didn't care about her well-being. He only cared for the power she was about to cast in the meeting. He was sure once the Magic Council was aware of what he was about to show them; they were going to provide more funding to Animus.

"Sorano…" Someone breathed Subject 104's name. The woman didn't respond to her name. She remained as still as death.

"As seen here, the escape from the prison was all a ruse," he revealed to the Council members.

"What the hell?" a female voice shouted. There was an uproar before Lucious bilious laughter stopped them. The room quieted as his mirth subsided.

"My apologies for not notifying you about the plan," he said.

"You can't do that," the short old man accused him.

"In fact, I can. Anything pertaining to the Animus project has allowed me to override the Magic Council rules and authorities and you will see why."

"Do you know how many mages have died or how many have been injured because of your ruse?"

Lucious sighed. "Do you know how many more will die if we shut down Animus? Hundreds, maybe thousands will die. Zeref will be known as an ant compare to what we're dealing with."

"That's a whole line of baloney!"

"Is it?" He snapped his fingers again and the woman's hand reached inside her white gown. Instantly, the mages in the room were alert. The white haired mage pulled out a strange old-fashioned black and white key. They stared at it apprehensively, sensing a different magic at play.

"As you can see, this key is neither gold or silver."

"We can definitely see that."

"And this key responds differently to celestial magic." He procured a small knife from his pocket. The Council members warily watched as the white haired woman took the knife from him. Instantly, she slit her wrist. She didn't wince in pain as the knife fell to the floor. The blood dripped down her arm to the hand with the key. Some of the red liquid pooled around the key. Lucious smirked.

"Open gate of time," the woman said and a bluish light engulfed the room. The moment it subsided, the Magic Council stared in awe at the spirit standing before them. The magical reading in the room spiraled off the charts as they tensed where they were standing. A tall and lanky spirit dressed in male clothing stood next to the woman but his face was the most astonishing part of his appearance because he had no eyes, nose and mouth. Instead a ticking clock stared at them before he bowed to them in greeting.

"My name is Seer," he said. Some of the members almost gaped at the spirit. He didn't have a mouth to talk but they all heard him clearly as day. "It's nice to meet all of you."

Lucious chuckled at their reaction.

"How can he-?" one of the Council could barely finish his sentence.

"He communicates telepathically in your mind," Lucious revealed.

"But how? I mean he can't-."

"I assure he can. Although we are all powerful mages and some of us have the highest defense mechanism to ward off magic from interfering with our minds, Seer can easily penetrate through any mind. It's part of his power to talk to us and it comes to him naturally as we breathe air."

"And his magical aura is off the chart. In fact, I never felt one like it," another member said.

"That's due to difference in summoning." Lucious glanced down at the key clutched tightly in the woman's hand. Blood dripped on the polished floor but none of the Council was looking at it.

"What difference?" the elderly man who was Master Makarov's friend asked.

"Subject 104 didn't use her magic to call on Seer. She used her blood."

There was a sudden gasp in the room before there were many outbursts.

"Is that even possible?"

"Blood, but how?"

"No one can use blood. There's no magic in blood."

"She had to use magic. She opened his gate."

Lucious shook his head. Apparently, it was going to take more than seeing to believe what was right in front of their faces. He turned his attention to the spirit, as any more explanation on his part was going to turn all the Council members into imbeciles.

"Care to explain or show them, Seer?"

The spirit bowed before them all. When he rose to his full height, he raised a hand into the air. Automatically, a bulky man froze in his spot. The others didn't notice until the Fairy Tail's friend shook his arm. "Jura?" the old man called out. "Jura, are you okay?"

Lucious chuckled again.

"He is alright. I simply stopped time for him," the spirit said.

The mages' eyes widened at the revelation. Jura was one of the wizard saints. He was stronger than most mages yet Seer halted his movement with a lift of his hand.

"And he won't remember any of what happened during his frozen state," the spirit said.

"How?" the elderly man questioned him.

"I froze his body along with his mind. He can stay the same age as long I deem it while most of your internal clocks keep ticking. In a way, I'm postponing his internal clock."

"Meaning?"

Lucious walked a little further from the spirt. "We all have internal clocks, which Seer views as our hearts. He has the power to stop our hearts without killing us and keep our hearts from beating for a long period of time. If a couple of years pass us by, we still look the same, even if he chooses to free us."

There was a loud whoosh of breath coming from somewhere in the back.

"Should I free him, Sir?" the spirit asked Lucious.

"Wait- why is the spirit asking you for permission and not Subject 104?" a feminine voice questioned from the center of the room.

"Good question. I recently found a spell that allows me to control the spirits of summoners but in order to do so, I have to have control of the summoner." He took a step back and lifted a thumb to place it under the white haired woman's chin. He tilted her head up.

"Seer, hand me the knife on the floor," he commanded.

The spirit did as he was told. Some of the Council members were shocked that the spirit handed Lucious a bloody knife. Lucious didn't bother to wipe the blood off as he sliced through Subject 104's gown. The fabric fell down to the floor, revealing an overly pale body with gashes and bruises. She only wore a white bra and underwear to cover her private areas. There was a long reddish and bluish wound that stretched from the woman's hips to under her breasts. It looked fresh and deep.

"Subject 104 had a grave injury that almost took her life. Fortunately, Seer prolonged her life by stopping the bleeding. This means her internal clock had to stop as well."

His dark eyes scanned the different faces from the Magic Council. He could see some members' astonished looks. Others vaguely looked disgusted. He shrugged his shoulders.

"Her body is frozen in time like Jura's, except she's under a spell that allows me to control her. This also gives me access to her powers at free will. Seer no longer answers to her. He answers to me." A wicked smile broke off on his lips before he continued. "Ladies and gentlemen, as you can see, a summoner's power is too powerful to let a summoner do as what he or she pleases. We have to stop them because if we don't, their power will be devastating. Imagine the destruction they can bring. And with their ability to summon spirits from other foreign worlds, think of what they are bringing into our world."

The room was silent as everyone was concentrating on Lucious' presentation.

"If you still don't believe me about their power, I could show you more. Seer."

Seer raised his other hand at one side of the room. Before anyone could react, half of the Council stilled.

"What the hell did you do?" the elderly man accused.

"I simply stopped time for them," Seer answered before looking at his master. "Master, do you want me to send them in the future or in the past?"

The others wheezed at fact the spirit still had more power to send the members he froze into a different setting. Time traveling magic was extremely rare and it usually required sacrifices.

"No," Lucious replied. "It seems we have made our point clear."

Seer nodded his head and let his hands fall to his sides. Automatically, Jura's voice boomed in the air. The other members who were frozen blinked their eyes.

Lucious snapped his fingers and spirit shimmered and disappeared into his world. The woman, then, let go of her key. Lucious was quick to catch it while her body slumped to the floor. Instantly, the elderly man noticed that Lucious didn't care for Subject 104. She was just an end to a means.

"You should take better care of Subject 104."

"I should, shouldn't I?" Lucious raised a black eyebrow. "But then again, I treat her like the criminal she is."

The old man growled low in his throat. Yes, the white haired woman was a criminal, but she deserved to be treated humanely.

Lucious raised his eyebrows in skepticism. "Unless you're growing too soft, old man."

The old man tightened his fists behind his back while he schooled his expression into a calm mask. "No, I'm just warning you to keep Subject 104's power, you will have to take better care of her."

Lucious began laughing. Only when his laughter died down, he smirked. "You still don't get it, don't you? She can't die. Seer has stopped the internal clock in her body. Her power is mine."

"But her blood. You can't replenish that."

He clucked his tongue in a mocking manner. "With medical discoveries, her blood is the least of my problem." He snapped fingers and the woman used the cut material of her hospital gown to clumsily wipe the floor until there was no blood present.

"All I need is this."

The old man gritted his teeth. The woman stood up stiffly next to him. Her light eyes stared lifelessly at the ground. The other Council members were quiet.

"What do you think?" Lucious questioned the members around him.

"You're right. We should be going after these summoners if they're powers are that enormous. That thing's magical output was incredible and that display was terrifying."

The other members started to agree with the person.

Lucious couldn't ask for better. His smirk widened when he waved his hand into the air. Automatically, the screen showed a picture of a blond haired woman. Under her picture was a name "Subject 99." Then, he waved his hand again and right beside Subject 99's image was another picture of a blond haired girl, who looked similar to Subject 99. Lucious didn't miss how the old man's eyes widened.

"To obtain summoners' powers, we have to get them from the source. Since Subject 99 disappeared on us awhile ago, I had the best team research her whereabouts. They discovered she went under a name, Layla Heartfilia."

"Are you saying the Fairy Tail girl…?" the other member never finished his question.

"Her name is Lucy Heartfilia and as you can see the resemblance is uncanny. Lucy is the daughter of Subject 99 and she also carries the same powers of a summoner."

"How can you be so sure?" the same person asked.

"Did I not mention that a summoner's magic is within the blood? That blood is carried to the next generations in the family line, except each bloodline gets more powerful. Imagine how strong Lucy Heartfilia's powers must be." There was a deadly glint in his eye.

"Produce proof." The old man glared at him.

Lucious lips twisted in the corner of his mouth. "I can once I capture the girl."

"You have our approval, Head Master of the Archive Department, Lucious Bane."

The elderly man would have said something but Lucious beat him. "Of course, and thank you." He bowed before the Council in a gentlemanly fashion. "Now if you excuse me, ladies and gentlemen." He walked out of the room with the young woman following him. However, his dark eyes flickered over to the old man who watched him with an angry scold.

He shook his head. Too bad not everyone agreed him. He would have to keep a careful eye on the Fairy Tail's friend. Lucious licked his lips and smiled wickedly in anticipation. He had a feeling that things were going to get interesting.


End file.
